Some peculiarities of the sequential action of heat and ionizing radiation on yeast cells

The dependence of the thermal enhancement ratio after a sequential action of heat and ionizing radiation on the dose and dose rate of ionizing radiation as well as on the temperature and duration of its application was studied for yeast cells. The combined effect of heat and ionizing radiation on cell killing depended on both the sequence of application (i.e. whether heat is applied prior to or following irradiation) and the temperature. The effectiveness of treatment with heat and ionizing radiation was greatly dependent on the duration of heat exposure. For an equal amount of cell killing from heat alone, long action of heat (50°C) was more effective for radiosensitization than a short acute action of high heat (58°C). For heating at 50°C, heating after irradiation produced more radiosensitization than heating before irradiation. However, high heating at 58°C before irradiation gave the same radiosensitization as heating after irradiation. These data confirm similar observations for mammalian cells. The results were interpreted by means of a mathematical model in which the synergistic effect of the sequential application of heat and ionizing radiation results from the additional lethal damage arising from the interaction of sublesions induced by both agents. These sublesions are not lethal after the action of these modalities, each taken alone. The model appears to be appropriate and the conclusions are valid.