Potentiation of bleomycin by the aminothiol WR-1065 in assays for chromosomal damage in G0 human lymphocytes.

The aminothiol radioprotector WR-1065 potentiates the induction of chromosome aberrations and micronuclei by the chemotherapy drug bleomycin in G(0) human lymphocytes. Potentiation by 5 mM WR-1065 was observed at bleomycin concentrations from 0.1 to 100 micrograms/ml in a 2-h treatment. The frequencies of micronuclei induced by bleomycin in the presence of WR-1065 reached that of 500-fold higher concentrations of bleomycin alone. The potential therapeutic implications of these findings are discussed.