Effects of dexamethasone on C6 astrocytoma radiosensitivity

Journal Article · Mon May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1989 · J. Neurosurg.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.3171/jns.1989.70.5.0767· OSTI ID:5902105

Lordo, C D; Stroude, E C; Del Maestro, R F

Brain-tumor patients often undergo radiation therapy while receiving corticosteroids for the treatment of cerebral edema. Studies have demonstrated that dexamethasone is radioprotective in a number of cell lines. The C6 astrocytoma cell line is well established in vitro and is modulated by dexamethasone treatment. It has therefore been hypothesized that dexamethasone-treated C6 astrocytoma cells would be more resistant to radiation-induced damage. The present study was carried out to assess this hypothesis using both the in vitro C6 astrocytoma monolayer and three-dimensional multicellular spheroid models. Dexamethasone was inhibitory to the C6 astrocytoma cells in the monolayer preparation, increasing their doubling time by 13%. In the spheroid cultures, dexamethasone treatment decreased the number of cells per spheroid by 46%. Dexamethasone did not affect the plating efficiency of either the cells from the monolayer experiment or those dissociated from spheroids, however, suggesting that the inhibitory effect was not tumoricidal. At a clinical concentration (1.94 x 10(-5) M), dexamethasone did not significantly influence plating efficiency of irradiated C6 astrocytoma cells in monolayer or three-dimensional spheroid cultures.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Western Ontario, London (Canada)
• OSTI ID: 5902105
• Journal Information: J. Neurosurg.; (United States), Vol. 70:5
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
BRAIN
NEOPLASMS
DEXAMETHASONE
RADIOSENSITIVITY EFFECTS
RADIOTHERAPY
TUMOR CELLS
RADIOSENSITIVITY
CELL DIVISION
PATIENTS
RADIOPROTECTIVE SUBSTANCES
ADRENAL HORMONES
ANIMAL CELLS
BODY
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
CORTICOSTEROIDS
DISEASES
DRUGS
GLUCOCORTICOIDS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
KETONES
MEDICINE
NERVOUS SYSTEM
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PREGNANES
RADIOLOGY
STEROIDS
THERAPY
560120* - Radiation Effects on Biochemicals
Cells
& Tissue Culture