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The induction and repair of DNA damage in single endothelial cells of rat cerebral cortex capillaries were studied in vivo and in vitro. Capillaries from the cerebral cortex were prepared in suspension, embedded in agarose on microscope slides, and treated with alkaline solution (unwinding of DNA). After neutralization the slides were stained with the fluorescent dye acridine orange and endothelial cell nuclei were evaluated in a microscope photometer. The intensity of the red fluorescence (from single-stranded DNA) divided by the green fluorescence (from double-stranded DNA) was used as a measured of DNA strand breaks. The results showed that most DNA strand breaks were repaired within 30 min postirradiation. A linear dose-effect relationship was found up to 18 Gy. Similar results were obtained from in vitro and in vivo experiments. Cysteamine administered 20 min before irradiation in vivo gave a protective effect on the cells studied. An EMF of 1.3 was determined.