Macrophages play an important role in wound healing. The effects of 6Gy whole body irradiation on wound macrophage function was studied by a rat dorsum incision in which polyvinyl alcohol sponges were implanted It was found that the phagocytic activity, the release of tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-1, the regulatory effect on wound fibroblast proliferation by wound macrophages, as well as the number of macrophages in wound,were significantly decreased on day 3,5,8 after wounding. The results indicated that the important mechanism of depression of wound healig after whole body irradiation is the decrease in number and impairment of function of wound macrophages in the early stage of wound healing.