Heterogeneity in radiation sensitivity within human primary tumour cell cultures as detected by the SCE assay

• Published in: British journal of cancer Vol. 59; no. 1; pp. 54 - 60
• Main Authors: TOFILON, P. J, VINES, C. M, MEYN, R. E, WIKE, J, BROCK, W. A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basingstoke Nature Publishing Group 01-01-1989
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Cell Line; Cell Survival - radiation effects; Cisplatin - pharmacology; Cricetinae; Cricetulus; Humans; Mechlorethamine - pharmacology; Medical sciences; Radiation therapy and radiosensitizing agent; Radiation Tolerance; Sister Chromatid Exchange - drug effects; Sister Chromatid Exchange - radiation effects; Treatment with physical agents; Treatment. General aspects; Tumor Cells, Cultured - drug effects; Tumor Cells, Cultured - radiation effects; Tumor Cells, Cultured - ultrastructure; Tumors; Human; Cell culture; Heterogeneity; Chemotherapy; Radiosensitivity; Sister chromatid exchange; Tumor; Radiotherapy; In vitro; X ray irradiation; Tumor cell; CHO cell line
• ISSN: 0007-0920; 1532-1827
• DOI: 10.1038/bjc.1989.11

The ability of the sister chromatid exchange (SCE) assay to detect heterogeneity in intrinsic radiation sensitivity was investigated. In order to identify tumour cell subpopulations, frequency histograms of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (II) (cPt)-induced SCEs were generated and compared to those from cultures that had been irradiated 96 h before drug treatment. The results suggested that subpopulations with different radiosensitivities were present in nine of 18 human primary tumour cell cultures evaluated. When the effects of prior irradiation on the subsequent X-ray survival response and on cPt-induced SCE frequency histograms were compared, a good correlation was obtained between the two assays regarding the prediction of heterogeneity in radioresponse. These results suggest that primary cultures can contain both radiation-sensitive and radiation-resistant cells, and thus heterogeneity in intrinsic radiosensitivity may exist in human solid tumours.