[Deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis by rat thymus and spleen cells in vitro following hyperthermia].

The inhibition of the semiconservative and restorative DNA synthesis caused by hyperthermia (30 to 60 min, 43 degrees C) was significantly higher in spleen cells than in thymus cells. The DNA repair synthesis of thymus cells measured at 37 degrees C was increased by about two times the initial value after a pre-incubation of 30 to 90 min and 30 to 60 min, respectively, with 37 and 43 degrees C, respectively. Under the same conditions, the 3H-thymidine incorporation into the DNA of spleen cells diminished proportionally to the pre-incubation time after a pre-incubation of 30 and 45 min, respectively, with 43 and 37 degrees C, respectively. When hyperthermia and inhibitors of DNA synthesis or DNA repair (hydroxyurea, 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine, 3',5'-didesoxythymidine, and 3-aminobenzamide) were combined, overadditive effects--without cell specific particularities--were seen only in the case of 3-aminobenzamide. Only in thymus cells, the inhibitor of DNA topoisomerase II novobiocin caused an overadditive reinforcement of the inhibition induced by hyperthermia of the semiconservative DNA synthesis. The stimulation of DNA repair synthesis in thymus cells caused by novobiocin with the aid of DNA polymerase beta could be compensated by hyperthermia. The sedimentation of thymus and spleen cell nucleoids was increased after hyperthermia. The results suggest a special importance of DNA topology and of the DNA polymerase beta activity for the cellular effect of hyperthermia.