Effects of Pb2+, Ni2+, Hg2+ and Se4+ on cultured cells. Analysis of uptake, toxicity and influence on radiosensitivity.

Effects of Pb2+, Ni2+, Hg2+ and Se4+ on cultured human glioma U-343MG cells were investigated considering uptake, toxicity and, in combination with radiation, clonogenic cells survival. The cells were exposed to 0-100 microM of the metals for a week before the evaluation. The tests showed a tendency to toxicity with 10 microM nickel although not significant (P > 0.05). Selenium, lead and mercury exerted a significant toxicity (P < 0.05) at 2.5 microM, 10 microM and 1 microM, respectively. To challenge the clonogenic cell survival capacity, the cells were irradiated with 60Co photons after being exposed to the highest nontoxic concentration of the different metals. The clonogenic cell survival tests, after irradiation, showed no significant change if the cells were exposed to 5 microM nickel, 0.5 microM selenium or 5 microM lead compared with those not exposed. Mercury, 0.1 microM, gave a relative reduction in survival compared with only irradiated cells of 58 +/- 17%. Thus, only mercury affected the radiation-induced damage and/or repair. When exposed to the highest nontoxic concentrations of the different metals, the cultures did not display a significant uptake ratio (metal concentration ratio of exposed cells to control cells) of nickel (3.1 +/- 3.3), only a small uptake ratio of selenium (4.0 +/- 0.4), while there was a large uptake ratio of both lead (2.6 +/- 1.7) x 10(2) and mercury (1.5 +/- 0.2) x 10(1). The results indicated that nickel was neither especially toxic nor influenced the clonogenic cell survival after irradiation. Mercury was more toxic and also influenced the radiation sensitivity. Lead was taken up strongly but did not influence the radiation sensitivity. Selenium accumulated but gave no detectable effect on the radiation sensitivity.