[Toxic and radiosensitizing effect of reduced nitroimidazoles on E. coli B/r cells]

The spectrophotometric method was used to study the rate of chemical reduction of misonidazole and metronidazole by NH4Cl and Zn in the atmosphere of argon and oxygen. Reduction of drugs increased their toxicity for hypoxic and oxygenated E. coli B/r. The reduced metronidazole is a more effective radiosensitizer of hypoxic E. coli B/r than the original compound.