Chemical radiosensitization by misonidazole: production and repair of DNA single-strand breaks in Yoshida ascites tumor cells

Formation of strand-breaks in DNA and its repair in Yoshida ascites tumor cells exposed to γ radiation (100-400 Gy) in presence and absence of misonidazole (10 mM) were studied. The methodology involved pre-labelling of cellular DNA by 3H-thymidine during cell proliferation in rats, irradiation of cells in vitro and analysing sedimentation profile of DNA by ultracentrifugation in alkaline sucrose density gradients. Irradiation under euoxic conditions resulted in formation of about 1.5 times greater number of strand breaks as compared to those formed during irradiation under hypoxic conditions. Misonidazole (10mM) by its presence along with the cell during irradiation under hypoxic conditions caused a 3-fold increase in the number of single strand breaks, but under euoxic conditions of irradiation the presence of misonidazole did not enhance the strand break formation. Incubation of cells irradiated in absence of misonidazole for 1 hr in tissue culture medium at 37degC resulted in repair of substantial fraction of the strand breaks while there was no repair of the DNA strand breaks in cells irradiated in the presence of the chemical. (author). 1 tab., 1 fig., 18 refs