SHORT COMMUNICATION

Abstract

We have studied the effect of 2-[(aminopropy1)amino]ethanethiol (WR1065) on the induction of neoplastic transformation using 10T1/2 cells and on mutation at the hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (HGPRT) locus using Chinese hamster V79 cells. Here we report the first observations that treatment of 10T1/2 cells with 1 mM WR1065 for a total of 35 min during irradiation with ⁶⁰Co γ-rays significantly reduces the incidence of neoplastic transformation while having no effect on cell viability. In a similar experiment with V79 cells in which 4 mM WR1065 was used, we found a significant reduction in mutation frequency at the HGPRT locus and significant protection against cell kiling. These results suggest that WR1065 acts to modulate both acute damage and sublethal processes that lead to mutation and neoplastic transformation. Beyond the purely mechanistic approach of these studies, the potential application of these agents to minimizing the long term neoplastic effects of radiation or chemotherapeutic agents currently in use for treating potentially curable cancer patients should be further investigated.