The effects of total-body irradiation on the survival and skin wound healing of rats with combined radiation-wound injury.

To investigate the effects of total body irradiation on the healing of skin wounds, rats were irradiated with a (60)Co gamma-ray source, in which single doses ranged from 1 to 8 Gy. After irradiation, two whole-thickness circular skin wounds, 22 mm in diameter and covering 2.5% of the total body surface area, were made immediately on the back of each animal. The average healing time for the simple wound was 18.3 +/- 2.1 days, whereas when the wound was combined with 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 Gy of radiation, the average wound healing time was delayed by 0.3, 0.8, 1.1, 3.5, 6.2, and 9.5 days, respectively. The average healing time was significantly decreased with irradiation doses exceeding 4 Gy, as compared with the healing time for the simple wound without irradiation (p < 0.05). The statistical results showed that the percentage of the unclosed wound with the increased doses in combined radiation injury was significantly proportional to the recovery time kinetics.