Robert L. Wells

Neoplastic Transformation of C3H Mouse Embryo Cells, 10T1/2: Cell-cycle Dependence for 50 kV X-rays and UV-B Light

The variation of neoplastic transformation induced by 50 kV X-rays, and by solar-simulating UV-B light, was studied through the cell cycle of C3H mouse embryo cells designated 10T1/2. A mitotic shake-off method was used to harvest mitotic cells. The progression through the cell cycle of initially mitotic cells was followed as a function of time by flow cytometry, DNA labelling for passage through S-phase, and growth curves for cell number. At 2-3 h after shake-off, about 90% of the cells were in early G1-phase and by 15 h 60-70% of cells had reached S-phase. For 2.5 Gy, the transformation frequency per viable cell in M-phase was some five times higher than in S-phase. In contrast, at similar survival levels, UV-B light is less efficient in transforming mitotic cells. For both types of radiation, the frequency of neoplastic transformation per viable cell was roughly inversely proportional to survival.

Transformation-sensitive Cells in G2/M-phase are Not Promoted by TPA Following 137Cs γ-rays

Mouse C3H 10T1/2 cells are most sensitive to radiation-induced neoplastic transformation in the G2/M-phase of the cell cycle. When synchronized 10T1/2 cells were exposed to phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (TPA) after irradiation, transformation of cells not in the transformation-sensitive window was enhanced, but transformation of cells already in the transformation-sensitive window was not. Earlier work showed that (a) TPA enhances the frequency of transformation of both high and low dose-rate γ-irradiated cells by about the same factor, but that (b) TPA enhances the transformation of cells exposed to low dose-rate fission spectrum neutrons appreciably less than cells exposed to high dose-rate fission spectrum neutrons. The latter observation is consistent with the inability of TPA to promote cells in the transformation-sensitive window and with the role of such cells in enhancing transformation by protracted doses of neutrons. The data provide a cellular basis for studying the biochemical/molecular aspe...