Structural organisation of nucleic acids from tumour cells

Abstract

The DNA from Carcinoma Guerina resistant and sensitive cells of Wistar line rats and their interaction with anti-cancer drugs—cis-platin and doxorubicin (DOX)—have been studied in in vivo experiments. Surface enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) in reflectance–absorption spectroscopy (RAS) mode was applied for registration of conformational change of the DNA induced by cancer process and anti-cancer drugs. We have registered numerous minor changes in infrared spectra of the DNA from sensitive and resistant cells that could reflect essential changes in molecular structure of DNA from cancer cells. The most significant transformation was undergone by the sugar–phosphate backbone of the DNA from cancer cells. The DNA from resistant cancer cells could be characterized as rigid structures and look like the canonical helix form of DNA being practically unchangeable after anti-cancer drug application. The structure of DNA from sensitive cancer cells seems to be flexible and after application of anti-cancer drugs drastically changes and approaches to structure of helix form. It has been shown that doxorubicin strongly influences the DNA structure, leading to DNA stabilization and formation of new H-bonds in DNA–doxorubicin complex. We have registered slight cis-platin influence on the DNA structure in in vivo experiment. Principal component analysis of SEIRA spectra can select the DNA from cancer cells.