title: A case of caffeine-mediated cancellation of mitotic delay without enhanced breakage in V79 cells.
abstract: Chinese hamster cells (V79 379A) were grown for 17 h in the presence of 10 micrograms/ml bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) to obtain cells with potential sister-chromatid differentiation. At this time batches were irradiated (1.5 Gy, 250 kVp X-rays) and the medium of all flasks replaced with one containing 10 micrograms/ml thymidine with or without 400 micrograms/ml caffeine. Metaphases from irradiated and unirradiated batches were sampled every hour for 7 h and FPG stained. All categories of chromatid-type aberrations were scored in G2 and S phase cells. As expected, mitotic delay in the presence of caffeine, (measured by a shift in the portion of the fraction of differentially stained metaphases (FDM) curve and a reduced fall in the mitotic index) was largely cancelled, but there was a negligible increase in chromatid-aberration frequency (all categories), only achieving significance if the consistency of the whole 7-h sampling period was considered. Caffeine had no effect on the frequencies of light/dark chromatid involvement, nor in the completeness of chromatid interchanges. We conclude that the enhanced breakage frequency often observed with post-irradiation caffeine treatment is not necessarily causally related to the cancellation of delay.
authors.affiliation: MRC Radiobiology Unit, Chilton, Didcot, UK.
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Harvey
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Savage
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine / Q000494:pharmacology; D002110:Caffeine / Q000633:toxicity*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002842:Chromatids / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D006224:Cricetinae; D003412:Cricetulus; D004249:DNA Damage; D016195:G2 Phase / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000528:radiation effects; D008027:Light; D008938:Mitosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008940:Mitotic Index; D016196:S Phase / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D013941:Thymine / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
chemical_list: D002110:Caffeine; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine; D013941:Thymine