Irradiation-induced changes in nuclear shape and cell cycle.

Using human uterine cervical carcinoma cells transplanted in nude mice and mice leukemia L5178Y cells, changes in the cell cycle following irradiation were observed by flow cytometry (FCM), and changes in the cell nuclei during the course of irradiation were measured by FCM. Experiments in vivo as well as in vitro caused accumulation of cells in the G2 to M populations, resulting in the so-called G2 block phenomenon as revealed by FCM analysis of DNA distributions. The radiation-induced changes of nuclear shapes were dependent on abnormal mitoses, which occurred more frequently in the G2 to M phases. Therefore it is suggested that the G2 block phenomenon plays an important role in radiation-induced cell death because the process of cell death by irradiation has been shown to proceed via these abnormal mitoses.