Effect of hypothermic irradiation of the growth characteristics of two human cell lines.

The effect of hypothermic irradiation on the growth characteristics of two human cell lines was investigated. Low temperature (2 degrees C) X-irradiation of MCF-7 cells (2, 3 and 4 Gy) resulted in higher surviving fractions compared to irradiation at 37 degrees C as assessed by the colony forming assay. The ratios for the surviving fraction between the two temperatures were 1.2, 1.5 and 1.7 at 2, 3 and 4 Gy, respectively. Correspondingly, the dose modifying factor was 1.23. The distribution of colony sizes (of those with more than 50 cells) was different with proportionally more small-sized colonies from cells irradiated at 2 degrees C. Colonies from diploid fibroblasts (HS27) were ill-defined and could not be counted. In conclusion, hypothermia during irradiation seems to influence the radioresponse in MCF-7 cells. The growth in multiwell plates of MCF-7 cells and human diploid fibroblasts (HS27) after irradiation with 3 and 4 Gy, respectively, at 2 degrees C or 37 degrees C was assessed by using the crystal violet growth assay. No difference between 2 degrees C or 37 degrees C irradiation was found for either of the two cell lines.