Changes in the level of sister chromatid exchanges in cultured Chinese hamster cells undergoing limited proliferation

"Stationary phase ageing" of cultured Chinese hamster cells (when proliferation rate decreases and in the stationary growth phase) produces an increase in the frequency of spontaneous sister chromatid exchanges (SCE). Thiophosphamide-induced (24 h) frequency of SCE increases from 2-day to 5-day "age" and later (in the stationary phase) is practically the same. The "stationary ageing" cultured cells are suggested to be used as a model system for studying molecular-genetic age changes.