[The mechanism of action of low doses of gamma radiation connected with the development of human cell resistance to mutagens].

The human fibroblasts were gamma-irradiated with low doses (0.07-0.21 Gy). After a short time interval (3 h), a study was made of the postirradiation viability of cells (by the trypan blue dye exclusion method); post-N-methyl-N'-nitro-nitrosoguanidine-DNA synthesis (by 3H-thymidine incorporation immediately after the mutagen treatment) and postirradiation induction of DNA single-strand breaks (by alkaline elution of cells lysed on the membrane filters). The preirradiation of cells with low doses of gamma-rays was shown to render the cells resistance to induction of DNA breaks by the following exposure to gamma-radiation. The survival rate increased; DNA synthesis was resistant to alkylation damage in these cells, as compared to nonirradiated cells.