Recently the sensitive measurement of radiation damage to DNA using flowcytometric analysis of nucleoid preparations was reported which allows an analysis of damage within the DNA of single cells. We applied flowcytometric analysis of the nucleoids for the detection of DNA damage by UVB.

The purpose of this study was to establish the method of detecting UVB-induced damage of DNA by flowcytometry and to elucidate the usefulness of this method to detect cell damage.

Human melanoma cells were cultured and were irradiated with various of UVB. Immediately after UVB irradiation nucleoid suspensions were prepared and flowcytometric analysis was done.

The changes in fluorescence, forward scatter, and side scatter reflected damage of DNA induced by UVB quite well especially at lower UVB doses.

Flowcytometric analysis of nucleoid will be a useful methosd to detect DNA damage by UVB.