Cell-cycle-dependent recovery from heavy-ion damage in G1-phase cells.

The cell-cycle-dependent capacity of synchronized G1-phase human T-1 cells to repair damage from either 425 MeV/u Bragg peak neon ions or 225 kVp X rays has been compared. The dose-survival response to each radiation was measured at early (1.5 h), mid (3.0 h), and late (4.5 h) times after mitotic selection. In addition the age response was characterized by irradiating cell populations at seven ages between 1.5 and 6.0 h after mitosis with single doses of either radiation. Repair of potentially lethal damage (PLDR) was evaluated in both the dose-survival and age-response experiments by holding irradiated cultures at 37 degrees C for 6 h in PBS or PBS containing 60 microM of the DNA polymerase inhibitor 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosyladenine (beta-araA) before trypsinization and plating. Delayed plating showed significant PLDR at all ages irradiated with X rays, with up to 10-fold increases of survival depending on the dose and the cell age at irradiation. There was negligible PLDR after neon-ion exposures to early and mid G1-phase cells; only late G1-phase cells repaired neon damage. The beta-araA treatment after X rays reduced the shoulder of the survival curves at all G1 ages studied, and in early and mid G1 reduced survival below the immediately plated control. beta-araA similarly reduced repair of PLD where it was measurable after neon ions. Differences between low- and high-LET radiation damage and repair are discussed.