The modification of the lethal effects of ionizing radiation on cultured mammalian cells by the pyrimidine nucleoside analogues, 3'-azido-2',3'-dideoxythymidine, 3'-amino-2',3'-dideoxythymidine, 2',3'-didehydro-2',3'- dideoxythymidine and 2',3'-didehydro-2',3'-dideoxycytidine, was investigated using X-irradiated log-phase Chinese hamster V79 cells. The exposure of the cells to these drugs (1-7.5 mM) for 3h after X irradiation reduced the cell survival. The killing efficiency was further enhanced by treating the cells with the drugs for 3h before X irradiation and continuing the treatment for 3h after X irradiation. These observations reveal that the nucleoside analogues, which are known as inhibitors of human immunodeficiency virus replication, have the ability to suppress cellular recovery from the radiation-induced potentially lethal state of X-irradiated cells. © 1988 Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.