CORRELATION BETWEEN MICRONUCLEI INDUCTION AND CELL-SURVIVAL IN V79 CELLS EXPOSED TO PACLITAXEL (TAXOL) IN CONJUNCTION WITH RADIATION

Exposure of V79 cells to different doses of gamma-irradiation resulted in a dose-dependent decline in their survival. The treatment of cells with paclitaxel before irradiation resulted in a further decline in t he cell survival. Conversely, the micronuclei frequency increased with the increasing dose of radiation in both irradiated and paclitaxel irradiated cultures at all the three post-irradiation time periods stu died. However, no significant difference among the frequencies of micr onuclei was found at 16, 22 and 28 h post-exposure. The trend for cell proliferation was similar to that of cell survival. The cell prolifer ation declined with increasing dose of radiation. The paclitaxel treat ment further reduced cell proliferation compared to the irradiated con trol group. The dose response for all the parameters for both groups w as linear quadratic. The biological response between micronuclei induc tion and cell survival was also determined. The cell survival and micr onuclei formation were inversely related and the correlation between c ell survival and micronuclei formation (biological response) was linea r quadratic for both irradiated and paclitaxel + irradiated groups.