DNA double-strand break rejoining in radioadapted human lymphocytes: evaluation by neutral comet assay and pulse-field gel electrophoresis

Adaptive response (AR), an enhanced resistance to a high dose of ionising radiation acquired after pretreatment with a very low dose, was estimated in normal human lymphocytes. The question posed was whether the extent of radioadaptation, assessed by micronucleus test, would be related to the rate of DNA double-strand break (DSB) rejoining. Phytohemagglutinin-stimulated G1-lymphocytes from 5 healthy male volunteers were pre-treated (or not) with an adaptive (5 cGy) dose of X-rays, followed by a higher (5 or 10 Gy) challenge dose after 20-22 h. DSB rejoining after the challenge dose was monitored with the use of two methods: neutral comet assay, modified to reduce the contribution of single-strand breaks (SSBs) and thermolabile sites, and pulse-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), specific for DSBs. At the level of micronuclei, an AR was observed in lymphocytes of 3 of 5 donors. Up to 60 min, comet assay showed no statistically significant differences in DNA break rejoining between adapted and non-adapted lymphocytes, independently of AR appearance. PFGE gave similar results, although in three donors it revealed secondary increases in DSBs levels at 30 min and/or 60 min post-irradiation in the adapted vs. the non-adapted samples. Failure to demonstrate changes in DSBs rejoining rate in the adapted lymphocytes could be due to diversity of AR intensity/timing at the level of DNA repair in not fully homogenous cell populations. Also, “rare” DNA cuts characteristic of early apoptosis/necrosis could overlap the process of DNA break rejoining.