title: Heterogeneity in radiation sensitivity within human primary tumour cell cultures as detected by the SCE assay.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Radiotherapy, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Hospital, Houston 77030.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Tofilon
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Vines
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Meyn
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wike
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Brock
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000528:radiation effects; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000494:pharmacology; D006224:Cricetinae; D003412:Cricetulus; D006801:Humans; D008466:Mechlorethamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D011836:Radiation Tolerance; D012854:Sister Chromatid Exchange / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D008466:Mechlorethamine; D002945:Cisplatin