DNA synthesis in isolated lymphocyte nuclei. Effects of megaloblastic anaemia due to folate or vitamin B-12 deficiency or antimetabolite drugs.

DNA synthesis has been studied in nuclei isolated from phytohaemagglutinin-stimulated lymphocytes from normal subjects and patients with megaloblastic anaemia. Lymphocytes were incubated for 72 h, nuclei isolated and incorporation of tritiated deoxythymidine triphosphate ([3H]TTP) into DNA measured, usually over a 10 min incubation period. Preincubation of normal phytohaemagglutinin-stimulated lymphocytes with methotrexate (1 - 10(-5) M, 48--72 h), 5-fluorouracil (1 - 10(-6) M, 70--72 h), and 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosyl cytosine (cytosine arabinoside) (4 - 10(-5) M, 71--72 h) caused a mean rise in [3H]TTP incorporation of 1.7 (P less than 0.01), 1.7 (P less than 0.05) and 2.4 (P less than 0.0025) fold, respectively. Hydroxyurea (3 - 10(-4) M, 48--72 h) in two experiments caused a mean increase of 1.6 fold. Untreated vitamin B-12- and folate-deficient cells showed a 2.0-fold (P less than 0.05) increase above the incorporation when the deficiencies were corrected by addition of vitamin B-12 and folic acid between 0 and 72 h in vitro. The mean percentages of the incorporation due to ATP-independent synthesis in nuclei from normal untreated cells, 5-fluorouracil-treated, cytosine arabinoside treated and vitamin B-12- or folate-deficient cells were 56 +/- 7% S.E., 41 +/- 7%, 84 +/- 3% and 28 +/- 6%, respectively. 5-Fluorouracil caused a two-fold increase in the cytoplasmic fraction of DNA polymerase when added to phytohaemagglutinin-stimulated lymphocytes between 48 and 72 h of culture but had no significant effect when added between 70 and 72 h.