The Application of Rapid-Lysis Techniques in Radiobiology: IV. The Effect of Glycerol and DMSO on Chinese Hamster Cell Survival and DNA Single-Strand Break Production

Abstract

MILLAR, B. C., SAPORA, O., FIELDEN, E. M., AND LOVEROCK, P. S. The Application of Rapid-Lysis Techniques in Radiobiology. IV. The Effect of Glycerol and DMSO on Chinese Hamster Cell Survival and DNA Single-Strand Break Production. Radiat. Res. 86, 506-514 (1981). A rapid-lysis technique has been used to compare the initial yield of DNA single-strand breaks (ssb) measured 0.2 sec after irradiation and cell survival for Chinese hamster cells in vitro. Both DMSO and glycerol protected cells irradiated in air, and there was a simple relationship between relative radiosensitivity and the initial number of ssb. Under oxic conditions at high concentrations (2 M) of either agent the yield of ssb was reduced by a factor of 3 and the slope of the survival curve by a factor of 2. Under hypoxic conditions much less protection was noted, and even at high concentrations of either agent (2 M) there was only a small degree of protection against cell inactivation and ssb. The results are in agreement with previous work on bacteria using this technique and provide further evidence that if these agents exert their protective effects by interfering with indirect damage then such damage is more important under oxic conditions.