X-ray- and neutron-induced chromosome damage detected by flow cytometry compared to cell lethality and chromosome structural changes.

V79 Chinese hamster cells were irradiated in G0 phase with 200 kV X rays or 14 MeV neutrons, and dose-response curves were determined for three end points: chromosome damage detected by flow cytometric analysis of chromosomes isolated from metaphase cells in irradiated cultures; loss of clonogenic capacity; and induction of dicentric, tricentric, and ring chromosomes. The changes observed in the flow karyotypes from irradiated cultures were quantitatively evaluated by computer analysis. Estimates of the frequencies of chromosome lesions were derived from an analysis of the flow cytometric measurements by means of a comparison with model calculations simulating the effect of chromosome changes on flow karyotypes. The results indicate that lesions assayed by flow cytometry occur three times more frequently than lethal lesions, while the chromosomal structural changes detected by microscopic analysis were about 10 times less frequent than the lesions detected by flow cytometry. Dose-response curves for X rays and neutrons show that cell reproductive death and changes in flow karyotypes result from damage, induced with a similar relative biological effectiveness. Dose-effect relations derived from changes in flow karyotypes, which can be obtained within 24 h after irradiation, might be of value as a predictive test for the sensitivity of cells for loss of clonogenic capacity.