ABSTRACT
Radiation damage is in many ways like an accelerated form of aging. It is therefore interesting to note the degree to which the oxidation of ascorbic acid is involved in radiation effects. Radiation damage is likewise potentiated by copper; clearly the in vitro protective effect of ascorbic acid may represent some form of competition, but it does not necessarily have a parallel in vivo. Goldman (1982) has pointed out that the endothelial cells of the microvascular system are particularly sensitive to ionizing radiation. The endothelium of the blood vessels, like any other tissue, is subject to the direct effects of radiation and to the indirect local effects, but it is also particularly exposed to the indirect general effects of radiation. Radiation protection is not always desirable, because it will most likely protect the cancer cells as well as the normal tissues in radiation therapy.
