An analysis of the interaction of a platinum complex and radiation with CHO cells using the molecular theory of cell survival.

A mathematical analysis is developed from the concepts of the molecular theory of cell survival to explain the cytotoxic action of a platinum complex on CHO cells and its synergistic interaction with radiation. In the analysis, it is assumed that both inter- and intra-strand cross-links induced by the Pt complex in the DNA contribute to cell killing and that the synergistic effect arises from the interaction between an intra-strand cross-link and a radiation-induced single-strand break on complementary strands of the DNA. The analysis is shown to be compatible with experimental results. Further, a mechanistic model is developed in an attempt to explain in more detail the processes which appear to be involved in the expression of the cytological damage.