title: Viscometry of alkaline cell lysates--the hitherto simplest short-term test for chromatin-interactive agents? Investigations in rat thymic and splenic cells.
abstract: Alkaline (AL) lysates from thymic cells (T-cells) and splenic cells (S-cells) of the rat were measured by low-shearing glass capillary viscometry. AL-viscometry was compared to the nucleoid sedimentation technique and the alkaline unwinding method. The results obtained in cells treated by (a) DNA strand breaking agents (X-rays, UV-light, doxorubicin, bleomycin, hydrogenperoxide, methylmethanesulfonate (MMS)), (b) intercalating and/or cross-linking substances (ethidium bromide, actinomycin D, mitomycin C, bisbenzimide), (c) the DNA repair inhibitor 3-aminobenzamide (3-AB) and (d) hyperthermia suggest that AL-viscometry may be considered as a very simple, rapid and inexpensive preliminary short-term test for detecting chromatin-interactive agents. Whereas agent- and cell-specific characteristics can be also revealed by AL-viscometry, quantification of specific lesions and conclusions as to the mechanisms of action require additional assays.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmacy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Munich, F.R.G.
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Tempel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001549:Benzamides / Q000494:pharmacology; D002843:Chromatin / Q000187:drug effects*; D004249:DNA Damage; D004996:Ethidium / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006358:Hot Temperature; D007364:Intercalating Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D014783:Viscosity
chemical_list: D001549:Benzamides; D002843:Chromatin; D007364:Intercalating Agents; C025160:3-aminobenzamide; D004996:Ethidium