The combined effect of chemical mutagen and virus on DNA repair, chromosome aberrations and neoplastic transformation.

The combined effect of chemical mutagen and oncogenic virus was examined by exposing cultured cells of Syrian hamsters to 4-nitroquinolin-1-oxide (4NQO) and human (AD12) or simian (SA7) adenovirus. The level of DNA repair synthesis, frequency of chromosome aberrations, and neoplastic transformation were used as parameters. The combined application of 4NQO and virus did not alter the level of DNA repair, had a cumulative effect on the frequency of metaphases with chromosome aberrations and produced an up to 23-fold enhancement of viral induced cell transformation.