Radiation survival of glutathione-deficient human fibroblasts in culture.

Abstract

Observations on a correlation between radiation survival and the cellular level of non-protein bound sulphydryl groups (NPSH) have been interpreted as indicating that these substances may be of particular importance in determining the intrinsic radiosensitivity of cells (Bruce et al., 1969; Ohara and Terasima, 1969; Revesz et al., 1963; Sinclair, 1969). In considering the radioprotective effect of different aminothiols, those occurring naturally in the cells may act as natural radioprotectors. In mammalian cells, glutathione constitutes the overwhelming part, if not the entire NPSH content (Modig and Revesz, 1967; Scaife, 1966). The main protective mechanisms were considered to be the scavenging of radiation-induced radicals as well as the restoring of radiation-damaged molecules by hydrogen donation in competition with other molecules which would fix the damage (Alexander and Charlesby, 1955; Chapman et al., 1973). Glutathione has also been shown to be a coenzyme in the synthesis of deoxyribonucleotides ...