Protective and Therapeutic Effects of Bacterial Polysaccharides in Irradiation Injury in Mice

The combination of two bacterial polysaccharides, Piromen and dextran, when they are administered intraperitoneally as two injections, increases the survival in mice receiving 700 r of total-body x irradiation. They are effective when they are administered 24 hours prior to x irradiation and also when they are administered 24 hours after x irradiation. If dextran and Piromen are mixed in vitro and administered as one injection, they are ineffective in modifying the survival of the irradiated mice. (auth)