Effect of irradiation on ethyl nitrosourea induced neural tumours in Wistar rat

Wistar rats received 2 Gy whole body irradiation followed immediately by 10 mg/kg of ethyl nitrosourea (ENU) on the day of birth. Out of 33 rats which were given ENU alone 14 developed 22 tumours of the nervous system, out of which 15 (68.2%) were gliomas and 7 (31.8%) were Schwannomas. Out of 34 rats which were given both irradiation and ENU 12 were found to harbour 15 neural tumours out of which 14 (93.3%) were gliomas and 1 (7.1%) was a Schwannoma. The pretreatment with irradiation seems to have resulted in selective suppression of Schwannoma induction.