Radiation-induced DNA double-strand break frequencies in human squamous cell carcinoma cell lines of different radiation sensitivities

DNA neutral (pH 9-6) filter elution was used to measure radiation-induced DNA double-strand break (dsb) frequencies in eight human squamous cell carcinoma cell lines with radiosensitivities (D0) ranging from 1.07 to 2.66 Gy and D-bar values ranging from 1.46 to 4.08 Gy. Elution profiles of unirradiated samples from more radiosensitive cell lines were all steeper in slope than profiles from resistant cells. The shapes of the dsb induction curves were curvilinear and there was some variability from cell line to cell line in the dose-response for the induction of DNA dsb after exposures to 5-100 Gy 60Co γ-rays. There was no relation between shapes of survival curves and shapes of the dose-responses for the induction of DNA dsb. At low doses (5-25 Gy), three out of four of the more sensitive cell lines (D-bar<2.5 Gy) had larger initial break frequencies than the more resistant lines (D-bar>3.0 Gy). Although the low-dose (5-25 Gy) elution results were variable, they suggest that DNA neutral elution will detect differences between sensitive and resistant tumour cells in initial DNA dsb frequencies. (author)