Potentiation by Caffeine of Potentially Lethal Fast-Neutron Damage in Cultured Human Cells

Abstract

Caffeine was found to potentiate single-dose fast-neutron-induced killing of human T-1 cells when present at 2 mM for 60 hr or more after (and 10 hr before) irradiation. Analyses of survival curves of cells treated with neutrons or X rays with and without caffeine indicate that only the linear, low-dose portion of survival curves is modified. Potentiation of lethality by caffeine is attributed mainly to its effects on single-hit potentially lethal lesions, possibly certain DNA double-strand breaks.