A cell cycle synchronization system is described for the analysis of the perturbation of cell cycle kinetics and the cycle-phase specificity of chemicals and other agents. We used the system to study the effects of ({+-})r-7, t-8-dihydroxy-t-9, 10-oxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene (BaP diol epoxide) upon the cell cycle of mouse liver epithelial cells(NMuLi). BaP diol epoxide(0.6 uM) was added to replated cultures of NMuLi cells that had been synchronized in various stages of the cell cycle by centrifugal elutriation. DNA histograms were obtained by flow cytometry as a function of time after replating. The data were analyzed by a computer modeling routine and reduced to a few graphs illustrating the 'net effects' of the BaP diol epoxide relative to controls. BaP diol epoxide slowed S-phase traversal in all samples relative to their respective control. Traversal through G{sub 2}M was also slowed by at least 50%. BaP diol epoxide had no apparent effect upon G{sub 1} traversal by cycling cells, but delayed the recruitment of quiescent G{sub 0} cells by about 2 hrs. The methods described constitute a powerful new approach for probing the cell cycle effects of a wide variety of agents. The present system appears to be extremely sensitive and capable of characterizing the action of agents on each phase of the cell cycle. The methods are automatable and would allow for the assay and possible differential characterization of mutagens and carcinogens
