Induction of unscheduled DNA synthesis in hairless mouse epidermis by ultraviolet light

The activity of ultraviolet (UV) light to induce unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) was investigated in hairless mouse epidermis by means of an in vivo-in vitro assay using a liquid scintillation counting method. Groups of three to five 8-week-old female hairless mice were irradiated with UV-B or UV-A, then skin samples were taken and cultured individually in medium containing [3H]thymidine with or without hydroxyurea (HU) for 2 hr. DNA of the epidermis was extracted, and incorporation of [3H]thymidine and the DNA content were determined with a liquid scintillation counter and a fluorescence spectrophotometer, respectively. Induction of UDS was judged in terms of the UDS index [(the ratio of DNA synthesis in the presence of HU to that in its absence) x 100]. UV-B increased the UDS index 1 hr after irradiation of 500 J/m2, which corresponds to approximately 1 minimal erythema dose or 1 minimal edema dose, and showed a dose-dependent increase up to 17-fold in the UDS index at irradiation doses of 500 to 2,000 J/m2. In a time-course study, UV-B also increased replicative DNA synthesis (RDS) 48 hr after irradiation at 1,000 J/m2. On the other hand, UV-A did not increase the UDS index at irradiation doses of 2 x 10(5) to 8 x 10(5) J/m2. These results show that induction of UDS by UV irradiation depends on wavelength and an increase of RDS in the epidermis exposed to UV-B irradiation appears after induction of UDS.