Direct analysis of radiation-induced chromosome fragments and rings in unstimulated human peripheral blood lymphocytes by means of the premature chromosome condensation technique

Development of the procedure to stimulate peripheral blood lymphocytes has greatly facilitated the understanding of chromosome aberration formation and repair mechanisms in human cells. Yet, because radiation induces far more initial chromosome breaks than are observed as aberrations in metaphase, it has not been possible to examine the kinetics of primary chromosome breakage and rejoining with this procedure. An improved method to induce premature chromosome condensation in unstimulated lymphocytes has been used to study primary chromosome breakage, rejoining, and ring formation at various times after irradiation with up to 800 rad of X-rays. The dose-response relations for chromosome fragments analyzed immediately or 1, 2, or 24 h after exposure were found to be linear. Rapid rejoining of chromosome fragments, which takes place in the first 3 h after X-ray exposure, was not correlated with a simultaneous increase in the formation of rings. The yield of rings per cell scored 24 h after irradiation, however, increased significantly and fit a linear quadratic equation. Both chromosome fragment rejoining and ring formation were completed about 6 h after irradiation. The frequency distributions of rings among cells followed a Poisson distribution, whereas chromosome fragments were overdispersed.     

Cytosine arabinoside is a potent clastogen and does not affect the repair of X-ray-induced chromosome fragments in unstimulated human lymphocytes

The metabolic inhibitor of DNA synthesis cytosine arabinoside (ara-C) is known to induce chromosome aberrations in human lymphocytes. It has been recently argued, however, that there is no unequivocal evidence that ara-C can damage chromosomes directly. Therefore, the effect of ara-C on unstimulated human lymphocytes was examined directly by means of the premature chromosome condensation technique. In about 50% of the cells, ara-C effectively induced chromosome fragments, which did not show rejoining even after the chemical was washed out. These results suggest that a possible selection against damaged cells in their progress to mitosis could result in the low yields of ara-C-induced chromosome aberrations reported in the literature. The effect of ara-C on the repair of radiation-induced chromosome aberrations was also examined. Ara-C did not affect the rejoining of the chromosome fragments induced in unstimulated human lymphocytes by 6 Gy of X-rays.     

Chemically induced premature chromosome condensation in short-term cultured human peripheral lymphocytes: applications to biodosimetry

We describe here the chemical induction of premature condensed chromosomes in human peripheral lymphocytes after culture for 6 h. Many have attempted this induction without culture or with short-term culture, because this technique permits prompt cytogenetic biodosimetry of radiation accidents. Lymphocytes were separated from blood, incubated in the presence of phytohemagglutinin, ATP, and p34^cdc2/cyclin B kinase, then treated with calyculin A during the last hour. The culture medium was supplemented with a lower concentration of fetal calf serum than conventionally used to minimize its possible interference with the effects of these drugs. We obtained, rarely, a suitable morphology of premature chromosome condensation in short-term cultured lymphocytes for conventional chromosome aberration analysis.     

Chemically induced premature chromosome condensation in short-term cultured human peripheral lymphocytes: applications to biodosimetry

We describe here the chemical induction of premature condensed chromosomes in human peripheral lymphocytes after culture for 6 h. Many have attempted this induction without culture or with short-term culture, because this technique permits prompt cytogenetic biodosimetry of radiation accidents. Lymphocytes were separated from blood, incubated in the presence of phytohemagglutinin, ATP, and p34^cdc2/cyclin B kinase, then treated with calyculin A during the last hour. The culture medium was supplemented with a lower concentration of fetal calf serum than conventionally used to minimize its possible interference with the effects of these drugs. We obtained, rarely, a suitable morphology of premature chromosome condensation in short-term cultured lymphocytes for conventional chromosome aberration analysis.     

Formation of chromosome aberrations in androgenetic rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss

Residues of maternal nuclear DNA in the form of chromosome fragments were observed in the healthy and morphologically normal androgenetic rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss. A hypothetical model for formation of chromosome re‐arrangements caused by the incomplete maternal nuclear DNA inactivation in the androgenetic rainbow trout was proposed in the present paper.     

Analysis of streptozotocin-induced incomplete chromosome elements and excess acentric fragments in Chinese hamster cells using a telomeric PNA probe

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with a telomeric peptide nucleic acid (PNA) probe was employed to analyze the induction of incomplete chromosome elements (ICE, i.e., unjoined or “open” chromosome elements with telomeric signal at only one end) and excess acentric fragments (i.e., in excess of fragments resulting from the formation of dicentric and ring chromosomes) by the methylating agent streptozotocin (STZ) in a Chinese hamster embryo (CHE) cell line. CHE cells were treated with 0–4 mM STZ and chromosomal aberrations were analyzed in the first mitosis after treatment using the telomeric probe. Centric (incomplete chromosomes) and acentric (terminal fragments) ICE were the only unstable chromosome-type aberrations induced by STZ in CHE cells. The induction of these aberrations exhibited a curvilinear concentration–response relationship. About 40% of the metaphases present in cell cultures treated with STZ contained one or more pairs of ICE. In STZ-treated cells, ICE were always observed as pairs consisting of an incomplete chromosome and a terminal fragment. Moreover, all of the excess acentric fragments induced by STZ were of terminal type. These results indicate that chromosomal incompleteness is a very common event following exposure to STZ and suggest that all of the excess acentric fragments induced by STZ originate from terminal deletions.     

Chromosomal damage induced in human lymphocytes by low doses of D-T neutrons

Unstable chromosome aberrations induced by in vitro irradiation with zero plus seven low doses of 14.8 MeV D-T neutrons in the range 3.55-244 mGy have been analysed in human peripheral blood lymphocytes. In order to obtain the required large numbers of scored cells for such low doses, fourteen laboratories participated in the experiment. The dose responses for dicentrics, excess acentrics and total aberrations, fitted well to the Y = alpha D model. The alpha coefficient of yield for dicentrics, 1.60 +/- 0.07 X 10(-2) Gy-1, compares well with the values obtained in previous studies with D-T neutrons at somewhat higher doses. Results from a previous collaborative study using 250 kVp X-rays over a comparable dose range indicated the possible existence of a threshold below 50 mGy. In the present study there is no clear evidence for neutrons for such a threshold. However, the data were insufficient to permit the rejection of a possible threshold below approximately 10 mGy.     

Chromosome aberration yields in human lymphocytes induced by fractionated doses of x-radiation.

Unstimulated (G0) human peripheral blood lymphocytes were exposed at 37 degrees C to doses of 200 or 500 rad of X-rays delivered in two equal fractions. The dose fractions were separated by intervals of up to 7 h in the 200 rad study and up to 48 h for 500 rad. In both studies the mean levels of dicentrics and total unstable aberrations began to decline when fractions were delivered with intervals of greater than 2 h. With 200 rad the yield had decreased to an additive baseline (i.e. equal to only twice the yield of a single 100-rad fraction) by an interval of 4 h. Following 500 rad the yield declined until 8 h and then remained 20% above the additive baseline even when 48 h separated the fractions. Possible explanations for this discrepancy are discussed. In a second experiment PHA stimulated lymphocyte cultures were exposed to 2 doses of 125 rad of X-rays up to 7 h apart in an attempt to demonstrate the late peak in aberration yields originally reported by Lane [5]. Control cultures received unsplit doses of 250 rad at the time of the corresponding second 125-rad fraction. No evidence of a late peak in dicentric yield was observed. The yield remained approximately the same irrespective of the time interval between fractions but these split dose yields were significantly different from the accompanying unsplit controls.     

Analysis of chromosome aberrations in human peripheral lymphocytes induced by 5.4 keV x-rays

Irradiation of human lymphocytes by x-rays has been seen, in past studies, to produce increasing frequencies of chromosome aberrations at lower x-ray energies. However, in one earlier irradiation experiment with chromium x-rays, the relative biological effectiveness (RBE) did not appear to be larger than that of hard x-rays, especially at higher doses. A possible reason for this unexpected result may have been the irradiation and culture conditions. We have, therefore, in the present study used a technique that has been developed in our laboratory to ensure uniformity of irradiation within lymphocytes and to avoid artefacts due to the cell cycle kinetics. Monolayers of 3-h-stimulated lymphocytes were exposed to 5.4 keV x-rays. A linear-quadratic dose-response was found for dicentrics. The comparison to an earlier finding with 220 kV x-rays shows the expected result of the RBE of the 5.4 keV x-rays to be above that of 220 kV x-rays. The intercellular distribution of dicentrics did not differ significantly from a Poisson distribution. Received: 17 January 1997 / Accepted in revised form: 17 July 1997     

In situ amplification of DNA fragments specific for human Y chromosome in cellular nuclei by PCR

Using single primer pairs Y3 and Y4, in siru polymerase chain reaction (in situ PCR) was successfully performed on the specimen slides of peripheral leukocytes. By both of the direct digpxiginin-11-dUTP incorporation into PCR products with in situ PCR (direct in situ PCR) and in situ PCR followed by detection of in situ hybridization (indirect in siru PCR), DNA fragments specific for human Y chromosome were obviously amplified in cellular nuclei of specimens on the slides. The results were verified by Southern analysis. The methodology of in situ PCR and its application were discussed.     

Frequencies of chromosomal aberrations induced in human blood lymphocytes by low doses of X-rays

The dose-response for radiation-induced chromosome aberrations in human lymphocytes is usually fitted to the quadratic model. This assumes that the slope is essentially linear at low doses. Empirical observations of linearity at less than 200 mGy are, however, sparse. Some data have been published indicating a non-linear (threshold) response and these are reviewed. In particular one study with X-rays showed a plateau in response up to 50 mGy and with a significant dip below the control level at 4 mGy. The mechanism proposed to explain non-linearity is that low doses stimulate the enzymic repair capability of lymphocytes. Preliminary data are presented from a large experiment by six laboratories in which the low dose-response for X-rays has been re-examined. The plateau in the dose-response relationship, if it exists, does not extend to doses above approximately 10 mGy. No irradiated cells yielded aberration levels significantly below the control. Over the range 0-300 mGy the response can be fitted to a linear regression. There are, however, variations in sensitivity between cells from different donors. An unexpected finding was that some lymphocytes contained greater than 1 exchange aberrations. This may indicate a small subset of cells that are especially susceptible to the induction of aberrations by low doses.     

Nuclear and territorial topography of chromosome telomeres in human lymphocytes

Nuclear and territorial positioning of p- and q-telomeres and centromeres of chromosomes 3, 8, 9, 13, and 19 were studied by repeated fluorescence in situ hybridization, high-resolution cytometry, and three-dimensional image analysis in human blood lymphocytes before and after stimulation. Telomeres were found on the opposite side of the territories as compared with the centromeres for all chromosome territories investigated. Mutual distances between telomeres of submetacentric chromosomes were very short, usually shorter than centromere-to-telomere distances, which means that the chromosome territory is nonrandomly folded. Telomeres are, on average, much nearer to the center of the cell nucleus than centromeres; q-telomeres were found, on average, more centrally localized as compared with p-telomeres. Consequently, we directly showed that chromosome territories in the cell nucleus are (1) polar and (2) partially oriented in cell nuclei. The distributions of genetic elements relative to chromosome territories (territorial distributions) can be either narrower or broader than their nuclear distributions, which reflects the degree of adhesion of an element to the territory or to the nucleus. We found no tethering of heterologous telomeres of chromosomes 8, 9, and 19. In contrast, both pairs of homologous telomeres of chromosome 19 (but not in other chromosomes) are tethered (associated) very frequently.     

Radioprotective effects of hawthorn against genotoxicity induced by gamma irradiation in human blood lymphocytes

The radioprotective effect of hawthorn (Crataegus microphylla) fruit extract was investigated in cultured blood lymphocytes from human volunteers. Peripheral blood samples were collected from five human volunteers 10 min before and 1, 2 and 3 h after a single oral ingestion of 500 mg hawthorn powder extract. At each time point, the whole blood was exposed in vitro to 150 cGy of cobalt-60 gamma irradiation, and then the lymphocytes were cultured with mitogenic stimulation to determine the micronuclei in cytokinesis-blocked binucleated cell. The lymphocytes in the blood samples collected after extract ingestion exhibited a significant decrease in the incidence of binucleated cells containing micronuclei as compared to similarly irradiated lymphocytes collected prior to extract ingestion. The maximum decrease in the frequency of micronuclei-containing cells was observed at 1 h after ingestion of Hawthorn extract (on average a 44% decrease). These data suggest that it may be possible to use Hawthorn extracts in personnel exposed to radiation in order to protect lymphocytes from radiation effects.     

Changes in the human nuclear chromatin induced by ultra wideband pulse irradiation

The effects of ultra wideband pulse radiation on human cells were investigated. The density of the flow of energy on the surface of irradiated object varied from 10⁻⁶ to 10⁻² W/cm² with exposure of 10 s. It was shown that heterochromatin granule quantity in cell nuclei increased under the influence of radiation from 10⁻⁴ to 10⁻² W/cm². In some intervals the effect increased with irradiation dose. At irradiation intensity 10⁻³ W/cm² the process of heterochromatin granule formation was fully reversible after 2 h of recovery; at intensity 10⁻² W/cm² the reversion of irradiation effects was not full. The data obtained indicated the strong biological activity of ultra wideband ultra short pulse radiation.     

Free radical scavenging in protection of human lymphocytes against chromosome aberration formation by gamma-ray irradiation.

Human peripheral blood lymphocytes were exposed to 300 rad gamma-rays, in the presence or absence of radical scavengers, and the change in the frequency of chromosome aberrations was analysed with attention directed to the protection by scavengers against the formation of primary damage leading to chromosome aberrations. The results showed that the damage involved in the formation of exchange-type aberrations was efficiently protected by scavengers, and about 60 per cent of them resulted from indirect action that could be abolished by alcohols. The SH-compounds afforded additional protection. The comparison of protective ability with reaction rates demonstrated that the indirect effect was due to the reaction of OH radicals possibly to DNA as a target molecule, and the involvement of H and eaq-was unlikely. In contrast to the exchange-type aberrations, terminal deletions were not significantly protected, suggesting that the damage leading to the terminal deletion differed in its nature from the leading to the exchange-type aberration.     

Inhibition of chromosome repair by caffeine or isonicotinic acid hydrazide on chromosome damage induced by mitomycin C in human lymphocytes

The frequency of interchromatic exchanges induced by mitomycin C in cultured human lymphocytes was markedly lowered in the presence of caffeine or isonicotinic acid hydrazide (INH) during a post-treatment period. The autoradiographic experiment showed that the decrease in the exchange frequency did not result from delaying or cell-killing effects by the post-treatment with caffeine or INH. Therefore, it may deduced that the exchange formation closely related to a process sensitive to caffeine or INH.     

Induction of chromosome aberrations in G0 human lymphocytes by low doses of ionizing radiations of different quality

Human peripheral blood lymphocytes from two donors were exposed to low doses (0.05 to 2.0 Gy) of gamma rays, X rays, or fast neutrons of different energies. Chromosome aberrations were analyzed in metaphase of first-division cells after a culture time of 45-46 hr. At this time, less than 5% of the cells were found in second division. Different dose-response relationships were fitted to the data by using a maximum likelihood method; best fits for radiation-induced dicentric aberrations were obtained with the linear-quadratic law for all radiations. The linear component of this equation predominated, however, for neutrons in the range of doses studied, and the frequency of dicentrics induced by d(16)+Be neutrons up to 1.0 Gy could also be described by a linear relationship. The relative biological efficiency (RBE) of X rays and d(16)+Be, d(33)+Be, and d(50)+Be neutrons compared to 60Co gamma rays in the low dose range was calculated from the dose-effect relationships for the dicentrics produced. The RBE increased with decreasing neutron dose and with decreasing neutron energy from d(50)+Be to d(16)-+Be neutrons. The limiting RBE at low doses (RBEo) was calculated to be about 1.5 for X rays and 14.0, 6.2, and 4.7 for the d(16)+Be, d(33)+Be, and d(50)+Be neutrons, respectively.     

A 12,000 rad whole genome radiation hybrid panel for high resolution mapping in cattle: characterization of the centromeric end of chromosome 1

We have constructed a 12,000 rad bovine whole-genome radiation hybrid panel (BovR12) to complement the 5000 rad panel (BovR5) currently available to the bovine genomics research community. Initial characterization with markers from chromosome 1 reveals a higher frequency of breakage between adjacent markers and subsequently a larger number of 'linkage' groups on this chromosome. For this set of markers, the retention frequency is also higher than in BovR5.