[Correlation analysis of radiation effects on potential doubling time (Tpot) for human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells].
OBJECTIVE: To understand radiation-induced cell kinetic changes of human nasopharyngeal carcinoma CNE cells and clarify cell biology basis of repopulation. METHODS: Either exponential growing stage or plateau stage human nasopharyngeal carcinoma CNE cells were measured by BrdUrd/DNA bivariate flow cytometry for phase fraction, BrdUrd labeling index, S phase duration, potential doubling time (Tpot), etc. Correlation analysis of Tpot with other kinetic parameters was made. RESULTS: (1) For exponentially growing CNE cells, shortening of Tpot after irradiation was closely correlated with increased BrdUrd labeled S phase fraction (P < 0.05), whereas no correlation was found between Tpot and other kinetic parameters measured; (2) for plateau stage CNE cells, shortening of Tpot with various radiation doses was closely correlated with decreased G0/G1 phase fraction (P < 0.05) and increased G2M phase fraction (P = 0.002), whereas no correlation was found between Tpot and other parameters measured. CONCLUSION: In a range of 0-8 Gy of irradiation, an increased accelerated repopulation rate was resulted from increasing radiation dose. Recruitment of G0 cells into cell cycle might play a major role in radiation-induced accelerated repopulation for plateau stage CNE cells, while it was contributed by an increased DNA synthesis manifested by an increased BrdUrd labeled S phase fraction for exponential growing CNE cells.