Tirapazamine: hypoxic cytotoxicity and interaction with radiation as assessed by the micronucleus assay

We investigated the cytotoxicity and the interaction with low-dose radiation (1-4Gy) of tirapazamine by the in vitro cytokinesis-block micronucleus (MN) assay. Murine SCCVII and human melanoma (G-361) cells were treated with tirapazamine under aerobic or hypoxic conditions for 1 h and the MN frequency was determined using cytochalasin-B. The cells were also treated with or without tirapazamine or KU-2285 (hypoxic cell sensitiser) under hypoxic conditions and irradiated with or without reaeration of the cell suspensions. A dose-dependent increase of MN frequency was observed by tirapazamine treatment and the hypoxic toxicity ratio was about 130 for SCCVII and 37 for G-361. The radiation dose-response curves of MN frequency suggested that the interaction of tirapazamine with irradiation appeared to be essentially additive in both cell lines. In contrast, the dose-response curve became steeper by KU-2285 treatment. Combined effects of tirapazamine and irradiation on the hypoxic cells were much higher than the radiation effect on aerobic cells at low doses, while the effects of KU-2285 did not exceed that of aerobic irradiation. In conclusion, tirapazamine appeared to be superior to hypoxic radiosensitisers at clinically relevant doses, not because of aerobic radiosensitisation but because of its potent hypoxic cytotoxicity additive to radiation effect.