Effect of prochlorperazine as a sensitizer of rat skin on radiation-induced AMP metabolism.

The role of AMP was investigated in radiosensitization by the use of prochlorperazine in normal rat skin. AMP metabolism was evaluated by estimating the level of activities of 5' nucleotidase vis-à-vis protein, DNA and RNA contents in prochlorperazine-treated plus irradiated skin. To study radiation-induced changes in the skin, the extent of lipid peroxidation was measured in terms of enzyme lipid peroxidase. After irradiation, lipid peroxidase activity was observed to increase in prochlorperazine-treated rat skin. Subsequently the level of 5' nucleotidase was found to decrease in drug-treated plus irradiation skin. Similarly, the suppression in the levels of DNA, RNA and protein contents increased when the rat skins was irradiated in the presence of sensitizer prochlorperazine. The cytological examination, which revealed the extent of the lesions occurring in the normal rat skin, and the biochemical examination demonstrated increased cellular lethality in prochlorperazine-sensitized skin after irradiation. The results suggest that prochlorperazine probably sensitizes the normal skin tissues to radiation by inhibiting AMP metabolism via hydroxy-radical-induced decrease in DNA, RNA and protein metabolism.