Effect of inhibitors of poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase on the radiation response of HeLa S3 cells

The purpose of this study was to investigate possible involvement of poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation reactions in X-ray-induced cell killing, repair of potentially lethal damage (PLD), and formation and repair of radiation-induced DNA damage. As tools we used the inhibitors of poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase, 3-aminobenzamide (3AB), and 4-aminobenzamide (4AB). Both drugs inhibited PLD repair equally well but did not increase radiation-induced cell killing when cells were plated immediately after irradiation. 3AB affected repair of radiation-induced DNA damage, while 4AB had no effect. When 3AB was combined with aphidicolin (APC), it was found that the amount of DNA damage increased during the postirradiation incubation period. This means that the presence of 3AB stimulates the formation of DNA damage after X-irradiation. It is concluded that 3AB and 4AB sensitize HeLaS3 cells for radiation-induced cell killing by inhibiting repair of PLD. Because of the different effects of both inhibitors on repair of PLD and repair of radiation-induced DNA damage (a process known to be affected by inhibition of poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation), it is concluded that the observed inhibition of PLD repair is not caused by inhibition of poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase, and that the inhibitors affect repair of PLD and repair of DNA damage through independent mechanisms.     

Mechanism of radiosensitization by halogenated pyrimidines: effect of BrdU on cell killing and interphase chromosome breakage in radiation-sensitive cells

The effect of BrdU incorporation on cell radiosensitivity as well as on the induction of chromosome damage by radiation was studied in plateau-phase xrs-5 cells using the premature chromosome condensation (PCC) method. It is well known that xrs-5 cells are sensitive to ionizing radiation and defective in the repair of radiation-induced DNA double-strand breaks, chromosome damage, and potentially lethal damage (PLD). Compared to repair-proficient CHO 10B cells, a reduction was observed in the overall BrdU-mediated radiosensitization in plateau-phase xrs-5 cells for the same degree of thymidine replacement. This finding is interpreted with a model for BrdU-induced radiosensitization advanced previously, in which two distinct components act to produce the overall radiosensitization observed. One component involves processes associated with the increase in initial damage (DNA and chromosome) production per unit absorbed dose and causes an increase in the slope of the survival curve, while the second component involves enhanced fixation of radiation-induced damage (PLD) and causes a reduction in the width of the shoulder of the survival curve. It is suggested that in plateau-phase xrs-5 cells, the deficiency in the repair of radiation-induced damage compromises BrdU-mediated radiosensitization by leaving active only the radiosensitization component that is associated with an increase in damage induction. Enhancement of cell killing by BrdU in plateau-phase xrs-5 cells resulted in a decrease in D0, the relative value of which was similar to the relative increase in the production of chromosome damage as measured by the PCC method. The relative values for the change in D0 and the production of chromosome aberrations were similar in plateau-phase CHO 10B and xrs-5 cells, suggesting that the physicochemical and/or biochemical processes associated with this phenomenon are the same in the two cell lines. Radiosensitization of a magnitude similar to that observed in exponentially growing CHO 10B cells was induced by BrdU in exponentially growing xrs-5 cells. This effect is attributed to a partial expression of the repair gene (transiently during S phase in all cells, or throughout the cycle in a fraction of cells) that permits some repair of radiation-induced damage and which is compromised by BrdU.     

Mechanism of radiosensitization by halogenated pyrimidines: bromodeoxyuridine and beta-arabinofuranosyladenine affect similar subsets of radiation-induced potentially lethal lesions in plateau-phase Chinese hamster ovary cells

Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells were grown to plateau phase in the presence of various amounts of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) and treated after irradiation with beta-arabinofuranosyladenine (ara-A), an inhibitor of DNA and potentially lethal damage (PLD) repair, in order to investigate the importance of repair reactions in general and of PLD repair, in particular, on the mechanism of radiosensitization by halogenated pyrimidines. The degree of BrdU-mediated radiosensitization observed in ara-A-treated cells was compared to that of cells incubated after irradiation in the absence of ara-A. A substantial reduction in BrdU-mediated radiosensitization was observed in cells treated with ara-A at concentrations that, when given alone, produced maximum potentiation in cell killing (500-1500 microM). The residual BrdU-mediated radiosensitization observed at high levels of thymidine replacement could be explained by a BrdU-mediated increase in DNA and chromosome damage induction per gray. These findings are similar to those reported previously for a repair-deficient mutant of CHO cells, the xrs-5 cell line, and consistent with the hypothesis that BrdU-mediated radiosensitization has two distinct components, one that derives from an increase in damage induction per gray, and a second one that derives from an effect of BrdU on the repair of radiation-induced damage. It is proposed that the reduction in BrdU-mediated radiosensitization observed in ara-A-treated cells is the result of ara-A-mediated expression of radiation damage, the repair of which would have been otherwise modulated by BrdU. Since ara-A is known to act by fixing a form of radiation-induced PLD (alpha-PLD), we further propose that BrdU acts by fixing alpha-PLD. A synergistic effect in the potentiation of cell killing was observed between ara-A and BrdU when ara-A was given at concentrations below 100 microM. This result suggests that a benefit may be expected in the clinic from the combined application of halogenated pyrimidines with repair inhibitors, if administered at a carefully screened range of concentrations.     

Independent forms of potentially lethal damage fixed in plateau-phase Chinese hamster cells by postirradiation treatment in hypertonic salt solution or araA

Plateau-phase Chinese V79 hamster cells were sequentially treated after exposure to gamma rays in medium made hypertonic by the addition of sodium chloride (370 mM) and with various concentrations of 9-beta-D-arabinofuranosyladenine (araA) to study their combined effect on fixation of potentially lethal damage (PLD). A 10-min treatment in hypertonic medium fixed an extensive amount of PLD and caused a decrease in D0 from 1.8 to 1.2 Gy without significantly affecting Dq. Subsequent treatment with araA caused further fixation of PLD but resulted in a specific, concentration-dependent reduction in Dq from 4.9 to 1.6 Gy after a 4-h exposure to 150 microM araA. A 30-min treatment in hypertonic medium reduced not only Do (from 1.8 to 1.0 Gy) but also Dq (from 4.9 to 2.7 Gy). Subsequent treatment with araA in this case affected only the residual shoulder, reducing it to 1.6 Gy after a 4-h treatment with 100 microM araA, a value similar to that obtained after treatment with araA of cells exposed to salt for only 10 min. When the repair of PLD fixed by a 10-min treatment with salt was measured by delaying its postirradiation application in the presence of various amounts of araA, a small decrease in the repair rate was observed but no significant effect on the relative increase in survival. Qualitatively similar results were obtained for repair of PLD sensitive to araA after a 10-min treatment in hypertonic medium. These results suggest the radiation induction of forms of PLD with different sensitivity to fixation by postirradiation treatments. araA is proposed to fix a form of PLD termed alpha-PLD, the repair of which takes place within 4-6 h and which causes the formation of the shoulder in the survival curve of cells plated immediately after irradiation. Short treatments in hypertonic medium (less than 10 min) are proposed to fix a form of PLD termed beta-PLD, the repair of which takes place within 1 h and leads to restoration of the slope to values equal to those obtained in the survival curve of cells plated immediately after irradiation. However, longer treatments in hypertonic medium also affect Dq and thus also alpha-PLD. Repair of beta-PLD was not significantly affected by araA and repair of alpha-PLD was not significantly affected by short hypertonic treatment, thus indicating the independence of the two forms of PLD.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Effect of arabinofuranosyladenine on radiation-induced chromosome damage in plateau-phase CHO cells measured by premature chromosome condensation: implications for repair and fixation of alpha-PLD

The effect of the DNA polymerase inhibitor beta-arabinofuranosyladenine (araA) on radiation-induced damage was studied at the cell survival and chromosome level in unfed plateau-phase cultures of Chinese hamster ovary cells. At the cell survival level postirradiation treatment with araA fixed a form of radiation-induced potentially lethal damage, termed alpha-PLD. In the absence of araA treatment, repair of PLD resulted in the formation of the survival curve shoulder in immediately plated cells and in the increase in survival observed after delayed plating. The repair kinetics observed after delayed plating of plateau-phase cells or after delayed administration of 500 microM araA were similar, suggesting that both protocols assay similar lesions. AraA-mediated fixation reached a plateau at concentrations higher than 500 microM, indicating complete fixation of alpha-PLD. At the cytogenetic level, postirradiation treatment with araA at concentrations higher than 500 microM caused a complete inhibition of chromosome repair, as scored by premature chromosome condensation. In the absence of araA, the linearity of the dose-effect relationship for chromosome fragmentation obtained immediately after irradiation was preserved even after long repair times. The repair kinetics of chromosome damage measured in cells held postirradiation in the plateau phase were the mirror image of the repair kinetics for alpha-PLD. The half-time was 1 h in both cases and repair reached a plateau after about 4-6 h. AraA-mediated repair inhibition of chromosome damage was reversible, and a decrease in residual chromosome damage was observed after post-treatment incubation in araA-free conditioned medium. This persistent chromosome damage increased with increasing araA concentration and, as with PLD fixation, reached a plateau at about 500 microM. These results suggest that repair and araA-mediated fixation of alpha-PLD have their counterparts at the chromosome level as indicated by the similar repair kinetics and inhibition/fixation characteristics obtained for alpha-PLD and chromosome damage. This relationship implies a correlation between repair at the DNA and the chromosome level and suggests that DNA polymerization is required for the repair of chromosome damage.     

Mechanism of radiosensitization by halogenated pyrimidines: effect of BrdU on repair of DNA breaks, interphase chromatin breaks, and potentially lethal damage in plateau-phase CHO cells.

There is evidence suggesting that radiosensitization induced in mammalian cells by substitution in the DNA of thymidine with BrdU has a component that relies on inhibition of repair and/or fixation of radiation damage. Here, experiments designed to study the mechanism of this phenomenon are described. The effect of BrdU incorporation into DNA was studied on cellular repair capability, rejoining of interphase chromosome breaks, as well as induction and rejoining of DNA double- and single-stranded breaks (DSBs and SSBs) in plateau-phase CHO cells exposed to X rays. Repair of potentially lethal damage (PLD), as measured by delayed plating of plateau-phase cells, was used to assay cellular repair capacity. Rejoining of interphase chromosome breaks was assayed by means of premature chromosome condensation (PCC); induction and rejoining of DNA DSBs were assayed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and induction and rejoining of DNA SSBs by DNA unwinding. A decrease was observed in the rate of repair of PLD in cells grown in the presence of BrdU, the magnitude of which depended upon the degree of thymidine replacement. The relative increase in survival caused by PLD repair was larger in cells substituted with BrdU and led to a partial loss of the radiosensitizing effect compared to cells tested immediately after irradiation. A decrease was also observed in the rate of rejoining of interphase chromosome breaks as well as in the rate of rejoining of the slow component of DNA DSBs in cells substituted with BrdU. The time constants measured for the rejoining of the slow component of DNA DSBs and of interphase chromosome breaks were similar both in the presence and in the absence of BrdU, suggesting a correlation between this subset of DNA lesions and interphase chromosome breaks. It is proposed that a larger proportion of radiation-induced potentially lethal lesions becomes lethal in cells grown in the presence of BrdU. Potentially lethal lesions are fixed via interaction with processes associated with cell cycle progression in cells plated immediately after irradiation, but can be partly repaired in cells kept in the plateau-phase. It is hypothesized that fixation of PLD is caused by alterations in chromatin conformation that occur during normal progression of cells throughout the cell cycle.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Repair and fixation of potentially lethal damage (PLD) as demonstrated by delayed plating or incubation with araA in contact inhibited refed plateau-phase C3H mouse embryo 10 T1/2 cells grown in the presence of BrdUrd

Summary OH mouse 10 T_1/2 cells showing strong inhibition of growth at confluency were grown under daily refeeding in the presence of BrdUrd (from 0 to 1 µM) and exposed to-rays either while exponentially growing or in the plateau phase. An increase in radiosensitivity was observed in both growth conditions mainly reflected by a reduction in Dq. Greater radiosensitization was observed in exponentially growing than in plateau-phase cells, and 3–4 times higher BrdUrd concentrations were required in plateau-phase cells for similar potentiation in killing. This effect could not be entirely attributed to a reduction in BrdUrd incorporation since measurements with³H-BrdUrd showed reductions in incorporation between only 17–47% in plateau-phase cells. The rate of repair of potentially lethal damage (PLD) as demonstrated by delayed plating was not affected by the incorporation of BrdUrd, but the amount of repair (measured as the relative increase in cell survival) was higher for BrdUrd-containing cells. Post-irradiation treatment of cells in the plateau-phase (no BrdUrd) with 9--d-arabinofuranosyladenine (araA) caused fixation of radiation-induced PLD. AraA treatment of cells grown in the presence of various amounts of BrdUrd also caused fixation of PLD, but resulted in survival levels similar to those observed with cells growing in BrdUrd-free medium. This result indicates that BrdUrd mediated radiosensitization cannot be observed when cells are prevented from repairing PLD by postirradiation incubation with araA. Based on these findings we propose that the mechanism of radiosensitization by BrdUrd incorporation might be, by increasing probability of fixation, mediated by the postirradiation progression of cells through the cycle, of a sector of PLD also sensitive to post-irradiation treatment with araA. For this sector of PLD the term -PLD has been proposed.This investigation was partly supported by PHS grants CA33951, CA39938 and CA42026 awarded by NCI, DHHS     

Quiescence in 9L cells and correlation with radiosensitivity and PLD repair

The onset of quiescence, changes in X-ray sensitivity, and changes in capacity for potentially lethal damage (PLD) repair of unfed plateau-phase 9L44 cell cultures have been systematically investigated. The quiescent plateau phase in 9L cells was the result of nutrient deprivation and was not a cell contact effect. Eighty-five to 90% of the plateau-phase cells had a G1 DNA content and a growth fraction less than or equal to 0.15. The cell kinetic shifts in the population were temporally correlated with a developing radioresistance, which was characterized by a larger shoulder in the survival curve of the quiescent cells (Dq = 5.71 Gy) versus exponentially growing cells (Dq = 4.48 Gy). When the quiescent plateau-phase cells were refed, an increase in radiosensitivity resulted which approached that of exponentially growing 9L cells. Delayed plating experiments after irradiation of exponentially growing cells, quiescent plateau-phase cells, and synchronized early to mid-G1-phase cells indicated that while significant PLD repair was evident in all three populations, the quiescent 9L cells had a higher PLD repair capacity. Although data for immediate plating indicated that 9L cells may enter quiescence in the relatively radioresistant mid-G1 phase, the enhanced PLD repair capacity of quiescent cells cannot be explained by redistribution into G1 phase. When the unfed quiescent plateau-phase 9L cells were stimulated to reenter the cell cycle by replating into fresh medium, the first G1 was extended by 6 h compared with the G1 of exponentially growing or refed plateau-phase 9L cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

On the identity of the damage expressed by treatment of X-irradiated HeLa cells with different agents

To determine whether different agents that enhance the expression of potentially lethal X-ray damage (PLD) interact with the same or different lesions (or spectrum of lesions), cell killing was measured in three kinds of experiments: (1) When cells were irradiated in G1 phase and treated with caffeine or hydroxyurea at concentrations that yield maximal response, the same survival plateaus were reached. (2) Treatment of cells irradiated in G1 phase either with caffeine or with hydroxyurea so as to yield survival levels that differed twofold after 4 h incubation, followed by treatment with caffeine to allow expression of PLD in G2 phase, resulted eventually in the same level of survival. (3) When cells were irradiated and treated with caffeine, hydroxyurea, or 9-beta-D-arabinofuranosyladenine (araA) after progressively longer delays, to trace the time course of recovery from the PLD, the responses obtained with caffeine and araA were similar; sensitivity to hydroxyurea was lost more rapidly. The results are consistent with the possibility that these three agents interact with the same lesions, but that different steps in the repair process are inhibited by caffeine or araA than by hydroxyurea.     

Radiation-induced potentially lethal damage: DNA lesions susceptible to fixation

The various postirradiation incubation conditions reported to uncover potentially lethal damage (PLD) induced by ionizing radiation are outlined and critically discussed. The process of damage fixation is the most characteristic determinant in distinguishing between PLD and other forms of damage (lethal or non-lethal). The results compiled indicate the induction of two forms of PLD (termed alpha- and beta-PLD). Evidence is presented that repair and fixation of alpha-PLD may underlie the variation in radiosensitivity observed through the cycle. Beta-PLD appears to be sensitive only to postirradiation treatment in anisotonic sale solutions. Results obtained at the DNA and chromosome level, under conditions allowing repair or causing fixation of PLD, are reviewed and combined together to devise a qualitative model that outlines a possible sequence of events from damage fixation at the DNA level, to damage fixation at the chromosome level and, ultimately, to cell death. It is suggested that damage uncovered at the cellular level as potentially lethal, comprises DNA dsb (single, pairs or groups) and that fixation is mediated by forces transmitted to the double helix through alteration (local or general) in chromatin conformation. Changes in chromatin conformation are caused either as a result of the cell's progression through the cycle or in response to a postirradiation treatment. The fixation process leads to the induction of chromosome aberrations. The validity of the concept of PLD in in vivo systems is shown, and the possible importance of PLD repair in radiation therapy is reviewed. The concept of PLD is compared to the concept of sublethal damage, and the possibility that similar molecular lesions underlie both types of damage is discussed.     

Recovery from potentially lethal damage and recruitment time of noncycling clonogenic cells in 9L confluent monolayers and spheroids

Cells that have been grown as multicell tumor spheroids exhibit radioresistance compared to the same cells grown in monolayers. Comparison of potentially lethal damage (PLD) repair and its kinetics was made between 9L cells grown as spheroids and confluent monolayers. Survival curves of cells plated immediately after irradiation showed the typical radioresistance associated with spheroid culture compared to plateau-phase monolayers. The dose-modification factor for spheroid cell survival is 1.44. Postirradiation incubations in normal phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), conditioned media, or 0.5 M NaCl in PBS reduced the differences in radiosensitivity between the two culture conditions. Postirradiation treatment in PBS or conditioned medium promoted repair of potentially lethal damage, and 0.5 M NaCl prevented the removal of PLD and allowed the fixation of damage resulting in lower survival. Survival of spheroid and monolayer cells after hypertonic NaCl treatment was identical. NaCl treatment reduced Do more than it did the shoulder (Dq) of the survival curve. PLD repair kinetics measured after postirradiation incubation in PBS followed by hypertonic NaCl treatment was the same for spheroids and for plateau-phase monolayers. The kinetics of PLD repair indicates a biphasic phenomenon. There is an initial fast component with a repair half-time of 7.9 min and a slow component with a repair half-time of 56.6 min. Most of the damage (59%) is repaired slowly. Since the repair capacity and kinetics are the same for spheroids and monolayers, the radioresistance of spheroids cannot be explained on this basis. Evidence indicates that the time to return from a Go (noncycling G1 cells) state to a proliferative state (recruitment) for cells from confluent monolayers and from spheroids after dissociation by protease treatment may be the most important determinant of the degree of PLD repair that occurs. Growth curves and flow cytometry cell cycle analysis indicate that spheroid cells have a lag period for reentry into a proliferative state. Since plating efficiency remains high and unchanging during this period, one cannot account for the delay on the basis of the existence of a large fraction of Go cells which are not potentially clonogenic. The cell cycle progression begins in 6-8 h for monolayer cells and in 14-15 h for spheroids. It is hypothesized that the slower reentry of spheroid cells into a cycling phase allows more time for repair than for the rapidly proliferating monolayer cells.     

Cell-cycle-dependent repair of potentially lethal damage in the XR-1 gamma-ray-sensitive Chinese hamster ovary cell

Repair of potentially lethal damage (PLD) was investigated in a gamma-ray-sensitive Chinese hamster cell mutant, XR-1, and its parent by comparing survival of plateau-phase cells plated immediately after irradiation with cells plated after a delay. Previous work indicated that XR-1 cells are deficient in repair of double-strand DNA breaks and are gamma-ray sensitive in G1 but have near normal sensitivity and repair capacity in late S phase. At irradiation doses from 0 to 1.0 Gy (100 to 10% survival), the delayed- and immediate-plating survival curves of XR-1 cells were identical; however, at doses greater than 1.0 Gy a significant increase in survival was observed when plating was delayed (PLD repair), approaching a 20-fold increase at 8 Gy. Elimination of S-phase cells by [3H]thymidine suicide dramatically increased gamma-ray sensitivity of plateau-phase XR-1 mutant cells and reduced by 600-fold the number of cells capable of PLD repair after a 6-Gy dose. In contrast, elimination of S-phase cells in plateau-phase parental cells did not alter PLD repair. These results suggest that the majority of PLD repair observed in plateau-phase XR-1 cells occurs in S-phase cells while G1 cells perform little PLD repair. In contrast, G1 cells account for the majority of PLD repair in plateau-phase parental cells. Thus, in the XR-1 mutant, a cell's ability to repair PLD seems to depend upon the stage of the cell cycle at which the irradiation is delivered. A possible explanation for these findings is discussed.     

Relationship between DNA repair and cell recovery: Importance of competing biochemical and metabolic processes

Summary The relationship between the inhibition of repair of radiation-induced DNA damage and the inhibition of recovery from radiation-induced potentially lethal damage (PLD) by hypertonic treatment was compared in 9L/Ro rat brain tumor cells. Fed plateau phase cultures were-irradiated with 1500 rad and then immediately treated for 20 min with a 37° C isotonic (0.15 M) or hypertonic (0.50 M) salt solution. The kinetics of repair of radiation-induced DNA damage as assayed using alkaline filter elution were compared to those of recovery from radiation-induced PLD as assayed by colony formation. Hypertonic treatment of unirradiated cells produced neither DNA damage nor cell kill. Post-irradiation hypertonic treatment inhibited both DNA repair and PLD recovery, while post-irradiation isotonic treatment inhibited neither phenomenon. However, by 2 h after irradiation, the amount of DNA damage remaining after a 20 min hypertonic treatment was equivalent to that remaining after a 20 min isotonic treatment. In contrast, cell survival after hypertonic treatment remained 2 logs lower than after isotonic treatment even at times up to 24 h. These results suggest that the repair of radiation-induced DNA damageper se is not causally related to recovery from radiation-induced PLD. However, the data are consistent with the time of DNA repair as an important parameter in determining cell survival and, therefore, tend to support the hypothesis that imbalances in sets of competing biochemical or metabolic processes determine survival rather than the presence of a single class of unrepaired DNA lesions.     

Protective role of potentially lethal damage repair in the neoplastic transformation of Balb/c 3T3 cells treated with N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine

To determine the role of repair of potentially lethal damage (PLD) in the initiation process of neoplastic transformation, Balb/c 3T3 cells treated with N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) were temporarily exposed to conditioned medium obtained from density-inhibited Chinese hamster cell cultures, as a post-treatment for the induction of PLD repair. With or without this exposure, cell survival and transformation frequencies were simultaneously determined by colony-formation and focus-formation assays, respectively. Temporary exposure to conditioned medium resulted in a 20-30% increase in cell survival compared with no exposure. Post-treatment with conditioned medium resulted in a 60-65% reduction in transformation frequencies. At the molecular level, the repair of MNNG-induced single-strand breaks of DNA occurred much more rapidly in conditioned medium. These data suggest that PLD repair reduces the in vitro neoplastic transformation through excision repair operative during the cessation of DNA replication. Thus, PLD repair appears to be preventive against neoplastic fixation in initiation of neoplastic development.     

Cell wounding activates phospholipase D in primary mouse keratinocytes

Plasma membrane disruptions occur in mechanically active tissues such as the epidermis and can lead to cell death if the damage remains unrepaired. Repair occurs through fusion of vesicle patches to the damaged membrane region. The enzyme phospholipase D (PLD) is involved in membrane traffickiing; therefore, the role of PLD in membrane repair was investigated. Generation of membrane disruptions by lifting epidermal keratinocytes from the substratum induced PLD activation, whereas removal of cells from the substratum via trypsinization had no effect. Pretreatment with 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃, previously shown to increase PLD1 expression and activity, had no effect on, and a PLD2-selective (but not a PLD1-selective) inhibitor decreased, cell lifting-induced PLD activation, suggesting PLD2 as the isoform activated. PLD2 interacts functionally with the glycerol channel aquaporin-3 (AQP3) to produce phosphatidylglycerol (PG); however, wounding resulted in decreased PG production, suggesting a potential PG deficiency in wounded cells. Cell lifting-induced PLD activation was transient, consistent with a possible role in membrane repair, and PLD inhibitors inhibited membrane resealing upon laser injury. In an in vivo full-thickness mouse skin wound model, PG accelerated wound healing. These results suggest that PLD and the PLD2/AQP3 signaling module may be involved in membrane repair and wound healing.     

Trifluoperazine stimulates ionizing radiation induced cell killing through inhibition of DNA repair

The effect of trifluoperazine (TFP), a phenothiazine derivative antipsychotic drug, on ionizing radiation (IR) induced cell killing through inhibition of DNA repair was investigated in human cell lines. In clonogenic survival assay, TFP augmented IR induced cell killing. Also, TFP enhanced micronucleus formation in irradiated human lymphocytes. The effect of TFP and other known DNA repair inhibitors like wortmannin and caffeine, on irradiated cells, was compared by MTT assay. On the other hand, TFP failed to increase the toxicity induced by H2O2. Repair of DNA double strand breaks induced by IR was markedly inhibited by TFP, as determined by field inversion gel electrophoresis (FIGE). Further, TFP increased radiation induced apoptosis, which was accompanied by enhanced G2/M arrest. Thus, our results strongly suggest that TFP inhibits repair of DNA damage induced by IR, which significantly implicates the possibility of using TFP as an adjuvant to radiotherapy.     

Evidence for reduced capacity for damage accumulation and repair in plateau-phase C3H 10T1/2 cells following multiple-dose irradiation with gamma rays

The effects of multiple-dose gamma irradiation on the shape of survival curves were studied with mouse C3H 10T1/2 cells maintained in contact-inhibited plateau phase. The dose-fractionation intervals included 3, 6, and 24 h. Following three fractionated doses (5 Gy per dose) of exposures, cells responded to further irradiation by displaying a survival curve with a much reduced shoulder width (Dq) compared to that of the survival curve measured in cells irradiated with single-graded doses alone. The effect on the mean lethal dose (D0) was small and appeared to be significant. The effect on reduction of Dq could not be completely overcome by lengthening the fractionation intervals from 3 to 6 h or 24 h, times in which repair of sublethal damage (SLD) measured by simple split-dose scheme and potentially lethal damage (PLD) measured by postirradiation incubation was completed. Other experiments showed that pretreatments of cells with fractionated irradiation appeared to slow down the cellular repair processes of SLD and PLD. Therefore, the observed change in the shape of survival curves after fractionation treatments may be attributed to a reduction of the cells' capacity for damage accumulation by an enhancement of the lethal expression of SLD and PLD. Although the molecular mechanism(s) is not known, the results of this study indicate that the acute graded dose-survival curve cannot be used a priori to extrapolate and reliably predict results of hyperfractionation. It is probable that for a nondividing or slowly dividing cell population, such an extrapolation may lead to an underestimation of cell killing. Furthermore, the findings of this investigation appear to support an interpretation, alternative to the high-linear energy transfer (LET) track-end postulate, for the effects on cell survival seen at low doses or low dose rates.     

Effect of caffeine on the expression of a major X-ray induced protein in human tumor cells

We have examined the effect of caffeine on the concomitant processes of the repair of potentially lethal damage (PLD) and the synthesis of X-ray-induced proteins in the human malignant melanoma cell line, Ul-Mel. Caffeine administered at a dose of 5mM after X radiation not only inhibited PLD repair but also markedly reduced the level of XIP269, a major X-ray-induced protein whose expression has been shown to correlate with the capacity to repair PLD. The expression of the vast majority of other cellular proteins, including seven other X-ray-induced proteins, remained unchanged following caffeine treatment. A possible role for XIP269 in cell cycle delay following DNA damage by X irradiation is discussed.     

Ataxia-telangiectasia homo- and heterozygous cells show a normal repair and fixation response to anisotonic NaCl treatment after irradiation

The effect of anisotonic NaCl treatment on fixation and repair of radiation-induced potentially lethal damage (PLD) was tested in normal human cells and in three homozygous ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) and two heterozygous A-T cell strains. Fixation of radiation-induced PLD occurred in all cell strains exposed to 0.05, 0.5, or 1.5 mole/liter NaCl solutions immediately after irradiation. This effect was observed in both plateau-phase and exponentially growing normal and A-T cells. When an incubation period at 37 degrees C was introduced between irradiation and the subsequent anisotonic treatment, recovery was observed in both normal and A-T cells strains. These data show that A-T cells are as proficient as normal cells in repairing PLD that is sensitive to anisotonic NaCl treatment. It is proposed that two PLD repair systems may exist, one that is expressed after irradiation in proliferatively arrested cells and another that occurs in plateau-phase as well as exponentially growing cells, and is expressed by the postirradiation treatments described here and by Raaphorst and Azzam (Radiat. Res. 86, 52-66 (1981].