Radiation and taxol effects on synchronized human cervical carcinoma cells

Journal Article · Wed Jun 15 04:00:00 EDT 1994 · International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0360-3016(94)90457-X· OSTI ID:6869822

Geard, C R; Jones, J M ^[1]

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1. Columbia Univ., New York, NY (United States)

The purpose was to evaluate the effectiveness of the plant derived chemotherapeutic agent taxol alone and in combination with ionizing radiation on synchronous and asynchronous human cervical carcinoma cells and to define the mechanistic basis for this cytotoxic response. Asynchronous and synchronous cells (obtained by modified mitotic shake-off) derived from carcinomas of the human uterine cervix were treated with a range of concentrations of taxol (0, 1.0, 2.5, 5.0, 10.0, and 20.0 nM) for either 8, 24, or 48 h. Synchronized cell cycling was evaluated by counting mitotic indices and by uptake of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdUrd). Cells were irradiated ([sup 137]Cs [gamma] rays at 1.12 Gy/min) alone and after taxol treatment and plating efficiencies and radiosensitivity determined. Taxol treatment resulted in a dose time dependent loss of colony forming ability with 10 nM for 24 h producing about 10% cell survival. Irradiating taxol treated cells resulted in a strictly additive response in contrast to previous supra-additive results with astrocytoma and melanoma cells. Mitotically synchronized cells rapidly moved into G[sub 1] phase with a second mitotic peak at 28 h (total cycle time). Taxol treatment resulted in a continued accumulation of mitoses, and a failure and/or delay of entry of a fraction of cells into S phase after a G[sub 1] phase of at least 10 h. That is, taxol effects cell cycling at a stage other than G[sub 2]/M. Irradiating (3 Gy) synchronized cells showed a 10-fold variation in sensitivity, with mitosis as the most sensitive phase with taxol alone resulting in some cytotoxicity and combined effects additive or less than additive. This may explain the failure to obtain taxol radiosensitization with these cells and it may indicate that taxol has a multiplicity of actions with differences in effectiveness likely between cells of different origins. 24 refs., 5 figs.

• OSTI ID: 6869822
• Journal Information: International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics; (United States), Journal Name: International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics; (United States) Vol. 29:3; ISSN IOBPD3; ISSN 0360-3016
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560120* -- Radiation Effects on Biochemicals
Cells
& Tissue Culture
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
BODY
CARCINOMAS
DISEASES
DRUGS
FEMALE GENITALS
NEOPLASMS
ORGANS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
RADIOSENSITIVITY
RADIOSENSITIZERS
TESTING
UTERUS