Different responses of polyploidized V79 cells after removal of two drugs, demecolcine and K-252a.

To examine whether or not cells polyploidized by different mechanisms behave in a different manner after drug removal, V79 Chinese hamster cells were assessed by flow cytometry (FCM) after their polyploidization by demecolcine and K-252a, inhibitors of spindle-fiber formation and protein kinase, respectively. Cell cycle analysis of DNA histograms of V79 cells before and after the drug release was performed. With both drugs, the ploidy of V79 cells increased just after the drug removal and was maintained for a week. A difference was evident 10 days after the release. Tetraploid cells were the main population from 10 to 18 days after the release of K-252a, but not demecolcine. Cell cycle parameters were almost the same in pseudo diploid and tetraploid V79 cells, except for the tetraploid S phase which was 2h longer.