Section on Cellular Aging and Genetics, Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Gerontology Research Center, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, U.S.A.
Abstract:
Frequencies of sister-chromatid exchanges (SCE) were measured in vitro in mouse fibroblasts and in vivo in mouse bone-marrow cells. SCE levels in these cell systems were measured in response to varying concentrations of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) and mitomycin-C (MMC). Although BrdU was found to induce SCE in both cellular systems, baseline SCE levels were 2- to 3-fold higher in vitro than in vivo. SCE induction was found to be a linear function of MMC concentration in vivo and in vitro; however the slope of the in vivo curve was 5-fold higher. The interaction of BrdU substituted DNA and MMC was examined by administering a fixed dose of MMC with increasing concentrations of BrdU. The induced SCE frequencies appeared to be additive. In addition to measuring drug-induced SCE, the BrdU differential staining technique allows concomitant measurement of the inhibition of cellular replication by the test drugs.