CHARACTERIZATION OF CELLS OBTAINED BY MECHANICAL AND ENZYMATIC MEANS FROM HUMAN-MELANOMA, SARCOMA, AND LUNG-TUMORS

Abstract

Characterization of cells comprising solid tumors will facilitate the rational design of cancer chemotherapy for individual patients. Cell suspensions were prepared from human melanoma, sarcoma and lung tumors by thinly slicing the tissue with a microtome and scalpels followed by treatment with a mixture of collagenase II and DNase I. This method of disaggregation resulted in 2 cell suspensions for each tumor specimen. These were characterized by assessing their dye exclusion capability, ribonucleoside triphosphate pools, cytological profile and clonogenicity in soft agar. Differences between the 2 types of suspension and among the disease types were examined with a 2-way analysis of variance. Cells released enzymatically from all disease types were characterized by a significantly higher dye exclusion capability and significantly higher pools of ATP and GTP. The 2 types of suspension were not significantly different in cytological profile or clonogenicity in soft agar. The enzymatic method thus yields cells in addition to those obtainable by a mild mechanical procedure and these cells are similar in cytological profile and clonogenicity in soft agar to those released mechanically. The enzymatically released population is superior to that released mechanically for purposes requiring large numbers of dye-ecluding cells having intact ribonucleotide pools.