Summary.-Inactivation of NHIK 3025 cells by the mitotic inhibitor NY 3170 (1-propargyl-5-chloropyrimidin-2-one) was measured as loss of colony-forming ability. NY 3170 at a concentration of 0-15 mM allowed no formation of colonies after 12 days of continuous exposure to the drug.Metaphase arrest after treatment with NY 3170 was reversible if the drug was removed immediately after the onset of the arrest. When the cells were kept in mitosis by the presence of NY 3170, inactivation was complete after 8h incubation of mitotic cells with 0.4mM NY 3170.Using synchronized cell populations, it was shown that mitosis is by far the most sensitive stage of the cell cycle to inactivation by NY 3170. This leads to the suggestion that there is a connection between the inactivating and the metaphase-arresting effect of this drug.The age response curves show that after mitosis the stages in order of decreasing sensitivity to NY 3170 are: G2, late S, early S and G1. This is a similar age response to that reported for proliferating cells treated with bleomycin, whereas the mitotic inhibitors vincristine and vinblastine have shown quite different age response curves.A PREVIOUS report from our laboratory (Wibe et al., 1979) describes the inhibition of synchronized NHIK 3025 cells by treatment with NY 3170. Data demonstrating the influence of NY 3170 on the traverse of cells through the cell cycle were presented. The metaphase-arresting properties were examined in detail.The present investigation demonstrates the inactivating effects of NY 3170 on NHIK 3025 cells, with special attention to the age response. The results are compared with the previously reported (Wibe et al., 1979) cell-cycle inhibition by this drug.
MATERIALS AND METHODSCell culture.-Information on the human cell line NHIK 3025 and the routines followed in handling stock cultures, as well as the chemical structure and the origin of the mitotic inhibitor, has been reported previously (Wibe et al., 1979;Gacek et al., 1979).Inactivation of single cells was measured as loss of the ability to form macroscopic colonies after 10-12 days of incubation. The medium was always changed 6-7 days after plating. The colonies were fixed in absolute ethanol and stained with methylene blue. Colonies containing more than 40 cells were scored for calculating surviving fractions. Experiments in our laboratory have shown that the plating efficiency of NHIK 3025 cells in the medium used (E2a supplied with 20% human serum and 10% horse serum) is 85-