Thermotolerance and thermosensitization in CHO and R1H cells: a comparative study.

In CHO and R1H cells thermotolerance was induced by a pre-incubation at 40 degrees C, by an acute heat shock at 43 degrees C followed by a time interval at 37 degrees C, and during continuous heating at 42 degrees C. Thermotolerance, which was tested at 43 degrees C, primarily causes an increase in D0 of the heat-response curve. The degree of maximum thermotolerance was found to be generally more pronounced in CHO than in R1H cells, but the time interval at 37 degrees C, as well as at 40 degrees C, to reach this maximum level was the same in both cell lines. CHO and R1H cells could be sensitized to 40 degrees C by a pre-treatment at 43 degrees C. When compared for the same survival rate after pre-treatment at 43 degrees C alone the degree of thermosensitization was about the same in both cell lines. In either cell line thermosensitization was found to be suppressed when cells were made thermotolerant by a previous incubation at 40 degrees C for 16 hours.