On a Novel Approach to Investigation and Evaluation of the Efficacy of DNA-Binding Radioprotectors

A fundamental possibility of using the ability of low-molecular-weight DNA molecules to form optically active cholesteric liquid-crystalline dispersions (CLCDs) to estimate the efficacy of DNA-binding radioprotectors is studied. On the example of the well-known dye Hoechst 33 258, which interacts with DNA by the minor-groove-binding and has pronounced radioprotective properties, it is shown that the change in the amplitude of anomalous signal of circular dichroism of the CLCDs formed from DNA molecules preliminarily irradiated with X-rays in the absence and in the presence of the test compound makes it possible to estimate the value of its protective effect.