Enhancement of radiation lethality of E. coli B/r by procaine hydrochloride

Abstract

Many carbonyl compounds by virtue of the electron affinitive property of their C=O groups are good radiosensitisers in bacterial as well as mammalian cells. The electronic charge distribution at the carbonyl bond of some local anaesthetics belonging to the class of esters represented by the general formula (I) given below is also known to play an important role in their anaesthetic action. If these esters are found to be radiosensitisers they may prove very valuable in radiation therapy. Here we present data on one such compound, procaine hydrochloride (II) which is commonly used as a local anaesthetic and has been found to enhance radiation lethality of Escherichia coli B/r under anoxia.