MITOXANTRONE-INDUCED DNA STRAND BREAKS IN CELL-CULTURES OF MALIGNANT HUMAN ASTROCYTOMA AND GLIOBLASTOMA TUMORS

In this study mitoxantrone (Mtx) induced DNA strand breaks were measur ed with the alkaline elution technique in short term cell cultures der ived from human gliomas. Glioblastomas or astrocytomas from 5 patients who underwent intracranial surgery were cultured and incubated 1 h wi th different concentrations of Mtx (0, 0.01, 0.1 and 1.0 mu g/ml). The alkaline elution method was modified to measure DNA lesions in human gliomas. Mtx induced DNA strand breaks in a dose dependent manner in a ll cell cultures tested. There was a linear increase of DNA strand bre ak frequency induced by Mtx between 0.01-1.0 mu g/ml. Concerning these in vitro data, Mtx might be potentially useful for the treatment of p atients with malignant brain tumors.