[Flow cytometry studies on the long-term effect of adriamycin on cell cycles]

Little is known today about the long-term influence of the anti-cancer antibiotic. Adriamycin (ADR), on the cell cycle. With this in mind, the author used flow cytometry (FCM) to observe the changes with time in the cell cycle. The changes were examined every 24 hours for 14 days. Prior to this HeLa S3 cancer cells were cultured in three ADR concentrations--0.01 micrograms/ml, 0.1 micrograms/ml, 1.0 micrograms/ml--. In the cell group exposed to the low ADR concentration of 0.01 microgram/ml for one hour, no noteworthy effect on the cell cycle was noted, and the cell count was slightly depressed as compared with the control group. In the group exposed to the moderate ADR concentration of 0.1 micrograms/ml for one hour, the G2 phase cells increased in number after 24 hours, but decreased on and after ten days, though there was an increase in the number of G1 phase cells. In addition, the cell count, which had shown no growth till the eight day, began to increase on and after the ninth day. In the cell group exposed to the high ADR concentration of 1.0 micrograms/ml for one hour, complete G2 block was observed on and after the 24th hour, with no subsequent change. The cell count also continued to decrease. The previous assumption that once G2 block has been caused by ADR, the cell group dies, was again shown to be valid.2+ ĕ