Multiphasic survival response of a radioresistant lepidopteran insect cell line.

TN-368 lepidopteran insect cells display a multiphasic survival response in both air and nitrogen. In each case the survival curve is characterized by an initial small- shouldered component having a steep slope, a plateau or broad- shouldered region near the 0.1 survival level, and finally a shallow slope component. The D0, Dq, and n values for the initial steep slope component in air and nitrogen are, respectively, 65.7 Gy, 9.0 Gy, and 1.2, and 104.4 Gy, 28.8 Gy, and 1.3. The oxygen enhancement ratio (OER) for this portion of the curve is 1.6. The D0, Dq, and n values for the shallow slope component in air and nitrogen are, respectively, 130.2 Gy,--36.1 Gy, and 0.8, and 226.8 Gy, 121.0 Gy, and 1.7. The OER for this portion of the curve is 1.7. The D0 values for each slope and the width of the plateau region all increase proportionally for the nitrogen curve over that of air, the OER being approximately the same for both curve components. A similar multiphasic response was observed at dose rates of 202, 49.6, and 9.1 Gy/min. In addition, the survival of cells which had previously been irradiated with a dose well into the logarithmic region of the more resistant shallow slope portion of the curve retained a multiphasic response. Although cell cycle variations in radiosensitivity may contribute slightly to the response, an inducible or activated repair process would be consistent with the results.