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Title: Action of caffeine on x-irradiated HeLa cells. IV. Progression delays and enhanced cell killing at high caffeine concentrations

Journal Article · · Radiat. Res.; (United States)
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2307/3575387· OSTI ID:5099738

The response of x-irradiated and unirradiated HeLa S3 cells to treatment with caffeine at concentrations between 1 and 10 nM has been examined with respect to both delay in progression through the cell generation cycle and enhancement of the expression of potentially lethal x-ray damage. Progression is delayed in a concentration-dependent fashion: the generation time is doubled at about 4 mM. The duration of G/sub 1/ is lengthened, and the rate of DNA synthesis is reduced, although the kinetics are different in the two phases; the rate of DNA synthesis is usually unaffected at 1 or 2 mM, while there is no concentration threshold for the slowing of progression through G/sub 1/. Progression through G/sub 2/ appears to be unaffected by concentrations up to at least 10 mM. Killing of irradiated cells in G/sub 2/ is somewhat greater after treatment with the higher caffeine concentrations than reported previously for 1 mM. Moreover, an additional mode of killing is observed in irradiated G/sub 1/ cells which had been found previously to be only slightly affected by 1 mM caffeine; they suffer extensive killing at concentrations above 5 mM. The time-survival curves for irradiated, caffeine-treated G/sub 1/ and G/sub 2/ cells have characteristically different shapes. The dose-survival curves for cells treated with the higher caffeine concentrations display steeper terminal slopes and narrower shoulders.

Research Organization:
Washington Univ., St. Louis, MO
OSTI ID:
5099738
Journal Information:
Radiat. Res.; (United States), Vol. 82:2
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English