The effect of several different anaesthetics on the blood pressure and heart rate of the mouse and on the radiation response of the mouse sarcoma RIF-1.

Several anaesthetics were tested with mice to study: (a) their ability to immobilize the animal; (b) their effect on blood pressure and heart rate; and (c) their effect on the response to X-irradiation of the mouse sarcoma RIF-1. All anaesthetics which produced adequate immobilization also caused a fall in blood pressure and some radioprotection of tumour cells. Physical restraint of the tumour-bearing leg of an unanaesthetized mouse also caused radioprotection of the tumour cells.