Adverse effects of hyperbaric oxygen on [3H]uridine incorporation and uridine kinase activity in B104 rat neuroblastoma cells.

The effects of hyperbaric oxygen on uracil nucleotide metabolism in B104 rat neuroblastoma cells were investigated. Cells exposed to 10 atm O2 for 4 h incorporated markedly less [3H]uridine into the acid-soluble fraction and RNA compared to cells kept in ambient air. The acid-soluble fraction of the oxygen-treated cells contained less total [3H]uridine phosphates ([3H]UMP + [3H]UDP + [3H]UTP) than air-treated cells. Uridine kinase activity, assayed in cytosolic extracts from cells exposed to 10 atm O2 for 4 h, was decreased by 46% compared to the air controls. The reduced enzyme activity which appears to account for the depressed [3H]uridine incorporation, may contribute to the lethal effects of oxygen in these cells.