Strand breakages of mammalian cellular chromosomal DNA with aromatic reductones were ascertained by use of a cultured cell strain of the rat fetal lung (RFL). The mode of the breakages was investigated by ultracentrifugal analyses. The reductones induced the breakages of the cellular DNA in two different fashions; one is single strand breaks and another double strand breaks. Although the single strand breaks were rapidly repaired, double strand breaks were only partially repaired. Both breaks were not cytocidal. Some physiological alterations were observed to follow the strand breaks.The DNA and RNA strand breaking abi lities and the anticancer activity of aromatic reductones were first discovered by Yamafuji and Murakami.1) Enhanced transcription of the DNA which had been treated with the reductones were discussed also by them.2) The nucleic acid-depolymerizing potenciality was detected not only with aromatic reductones but also with triose reductone and its derivatives,3) suggesting that their enediol groups take part in the degradation.
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