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Thermal Sensitivity and Thermotolerance in Normal Porcine Tissues¹

Departments of Radiology [A. A. M., A. M., J. L. M., G. M. H., S. D. P.] and Pathology [L. F. F.], Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, and Veterans Administration Medical Center, Palo Alto, California 94304

We have previously presented a histopathological grading scheme for thermal damage in normal porcine adipose and skeletal muscle tissues. Here we have used this scheme to assess the heat sensitivity of these tissues, and evaluate the protective benefit of thermotolerance as induced by a prior thermal exposure. Tissues were exposed to temperatures ranging from 40–50° for 30 min. Half of all sites also received a thermal exposure of 41.0–43.0° 4 hr earlier. Biopsies for histological evaluation were obtained at 18 to 24 hr ("acute") and at 28 to 31 days ("chronic") following treatment. Only mild acute injury was seen in the early samples, following either single or double heat exposures, at all temperature levels. Minimal chronic damage was also seen in the late samples following single exposures of 45° or less. Higher single exposures caused important chronic lesions, the severity of which was dose dependent. Regions that had received the earlier conditioning thermal exposure showed a significant protection against the subsequent thermal exposure. In such regions, mean (chronic) pathology scores were reduced by 76 to 86% over the temperature range 45–48°. The degree of acute damage failed to predict the degree of chronic damage. Overall, induction of thermotolerance provided an advantage of 2° or more in normal tissue protection.

¹ Supported by USPHS Grants CA 04542 and CA 19386 awarded by the National Cancer Institute and by Veterans Administration Research Funds.

² Present address: Department of Radiotherapy, Mayo Medical School, Rochester, Minn. 55905.

³ Permanent address: Experimental Animal Center, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.

⁴ To whom requests for reprints should be addressed, at Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, S.U.M.C. Room A037, Stanford, Calif. 94305.

Received 8/13/82. Accepted 1/11/83.

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