The effect of the radiosensitizer misonidazole on motor nerve conduction velocity in the mouse.

The clinical use of misonidazole as a hypoxic cell radiosensitizer is at present limited by its neurotoxicity at high doses (Urtasun et al., 1977; Dische et al., 1977). An in vivo neurological end point, viz. measurement of nerve conduction velocity, has been developed to examine sensitizer action. Conduction velocity in mice was measured as a function of time after a single dose of misonidazole and as a function of drug dose. Doses greater than 0.33 mg/g produced significant transient reductions in velocity. The time course of the reduction in velocity closely followed the uptake/excretion profile of misonidazole from blood serum.