RADIOSENSITIZATION OF MAMMALIAN-CELLS BY MISONIDAZOLE AND OXYGEN - DNA DAMAGE EXPOSED BY MICROCOCCUS-LUTEUS ENZYMES

When misonidazole is present during irradiation of hypoxic mammalian cells, an enhancement of single-strand breaks (SSB) in DNA is observed. Oxygen also enhances SSB, presumably in a manner similar to that of misonidazole. The dose-modifying factor (DMF) for 15 mM misonidazole was found to be 3.4, compared to an oxygen enhancement ratio (OER) of 3.5. Another class of DNA damage, namely sites exposed by an extract of Micrococcus luteus, was examined. Radiation-induced M. luteus extract-sensitive sites (MLS) were also found to be enhanced by the presence of misonidazole or molecular oxygen. The DMF for this damage by 15 mM misonidazole was 1.6 while the OER was 2.5. The ratio of MLS to SSB is approximately 1.25 under hypoxia, 0.9 in the presence of oxygen, and 0.6 in the presence of 15 mM misonidazole under hypoxic conditions. Incubation with misonidazole under conditions which are toxic to mammalian cells (37°C, hypoxia), and which result in many SSB, produces no detectable lesions sensitive to the M. luteus extract.