Rapid evaluation of topoisomerase inhibitors: caffeine inhibition of topoisomerases in vivo.

Caffeine was found to inhibit both type I and type II topoisomerases in vivo as judged by its effects on replicating simian virus 40 (SV40) chromosomes. The study was facilitated by the use of a rapid filter assay for the detection and characterization of topoisomerase inhibitors. The assay, which requires neither purified enzymes nor substrates, was able to identify both antagonists and poisons of type I and type II topoisomerases.