Tumor growth inhibition by sonodynamic therapy using a novel sonosensitizer

Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) with low-intensity ultrasound combined with a sonosensitizer may be a promising approach to cancer therapy. Use of ultrasound has the advantage of being noninvasive, with deep-penetration properties, and convenient because of the low or no sensitivity of sonosensitizers to light. In this study, SDT with a novel sonosensitizer (a porphyrin derivative) was evaluated in vitro and in vivo. Ultrasound irradiation with a sonosensitizer elicited potent sonotoxicity in vitro without the danger of phototoxicity. The sonotoxic effect was mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and was reduced by ROS scavengers. Cell membrane lipid peroxidation increased significantly just after ultrasound irradiation with a sonosensitizer, but there was no increase in apoptosis. In an in vivo mouse xenograft model, SDT with a sonosensitizer markedly inhibited tumor cell growth. The skin hypersensitivity after light exposure was not observed in a sonosensitizer-treatment group, consistent with the in vitro findings. These results suggest that ROS generated by SDT with a sensitizer can damage tumor cells, resulting in necrosis and prevention of tumor growth. This noninvasive treatment with no adverse effects such as skin sensitivity is therefore promising for therapy of cancers located deep within patients.     

Study of cell killing and morphology on S180 by ultrasound activating hematoporphyrin derivatives

Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) is one of antitumor strategies that kill tumor cells through the synergistic effects caused by the combined use of HpD and US[1]. SDT is based on the following principle. Ultrasound used in SDT can penetrate the deep tissue and activate HpD, which accu- mulated in tumor cell, and produce highly active oxygen species[2] such as singlet oxygen (1O2), which can destroy the structure of tumor cells. So far the studies on the SDT have focused mainly on the mechan…     

Study of cell killing and morphology on S180 by ultrasound activating hematoporphyrin derivatives

The inhibition of ascitic S180 and induced sarcoma 180 in vivo was studied with the combination of hematoporphyrin derivatives (HpD) and ultrasound (US) at the frequency of 1.1 MHz and different intensities by light microscopy observation, electronic microscopy observation, cytochemical analysis and fluorescence labeling. The present study indicated that the injury of ascitic S180 increased as time passed and the inhibitory effect was stronger in US plus HpD group than that in other groups. Our results also indicated that the changes in cell structure, cytochrome C oxidase activity, the degradation and missing of DNA were the important factors that inhibited the tumor cell growth and even induced celldeath. The phenomenon of apoptosis of tumor cells indicated that cell death andinduced apoptosis exist in the treatment of sonodynamic therapy (SDT). Our study investigated the mechanism underlying the killing effect of S180 induced by USactivating HpD by the observation of cell morphology and dynamic changes from seminal injury to succeeded injury even to death. It would provide rich referencefor the study of SDT.     

Sonodynamic effects of hematoporphyrin monomethyl ether on CNE-2 cells detected by atomic force microscopy

Hematoporphyrin monomethyl ether (HMME) has been effectively used to treat solid tumors of some types. However, its application in nasopharyngeal carcinoma has not been studied yet. In this paper, the detailed sonodynamic effects of HMME‐SDT (sonodynamic therapy) on CNE‐2 cells including cell growth inhibition, apoptosis induction, and membrane toxicity were investigated. It was found that HMME alone had less cytotoxicity whereas HMME‐SDT could suppress the cell proliferation in a dose‐dependent manner as detected by MTT assay. The annexin V‐based flow cytometric data indicated that upon SDT, different concentrations of HMME induce distinct types of cell death, apoptosis by low concentration (60 µg/ml) of HMME and necrosis by higher concentration (120 µg/ml). The immunofluorescence of cytoskeleton and nuclei morphology showed that upon HMME‐SDT, the cells became rounding and the cytoskeletal network disappeared, and, the nuclei represented a total fragmented morphology of nuclear bodies. These alternations showed the apoptosis induction by HMME‐SDT. Further AFM study showed that the cell membrane structure and cytoskeleton networks were destroyed, and, the Young's modulus, tip‐cell‐surface adhesion force decreased to 0.22 ± 0.11 Mpa, 35.4 ± 12.8 pN of cells with 120 µg/ml HMME‐SDT from 0.48 ± 0.21 Mpa, 69.6 ± 22.3 pN of native cells, respectively. These membrane changes caused the collapse of mitochondrial transmembrane potential and disturbance of intracellular calcium homeostasis, which was consistent with the results detected by flow cytometry. Therefore, membrane toxicity and cytoskeleton disrupture induced by HMME‐SDT maybe important factors to induce cell apoptosis, and, the disturbance of mitochondrial transmembrane potential and calcium channels might be the apoptosis mechanisms. J. Cell. Biochem. 112: 169–178, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

S-Nitrosated human serum albumin dimer is not only a novel anti-tumor drug but also a potentiator for anti-tumor drugs with augmented EPR effects

Macromolecules have been developed as carriers of low-molecular-weight drugs in drug delivery systems (DDS) to improve their pharmacokinetic profile or to promote their uptake in tumor tissue via enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effects. In the present study, recombinant human serum albumin dimer (AL-Dimer), which was designed by linking two human serum albumin (HSA) molecules with the amino acid linker (GGGGS)(2), significantly accumulated in tumor tissue even more than HSA Monomer (AL-Monomer) and appearing to have good retention in circulating blood in murine colon 26 (C26) tumor-bearing mice. Moreover, we developed S-nitrosated AL-Dimer (SNO-AL-Dimer) as a novel DDS compound containing AL-Dimer as a carrier, and nitric oxide (NO) as (i) an anticancer therapeutic drug/cell death inducer and (ii) an enhancer of the EPR effect. We observed that SNO-AL-Dimer treatment induced apoptosis of C26 tumor cells in vitro, depending on the concentration of NO. In in vivo experiments, SNO-AL-Dimer was found to specifically deliver large amounts of cytotoxic NO into tumor tissue but not into normal organs in C26 tumor-bearing mice as compared with control (untreated tumor-bearing mice) and SNO-AL-Monomer-treated mice. Intriguingly, S-nitrosation improved the uptake of AL-Dimer in tumor tissue through augmenting the EPR effect. These data suggest that SNO-AL-Dimer behaves not only as an anticancer therapeutic drug, but also as a potentiator of the EPR effect. Therefore, SNO-AL-Dimer would be a very appealing carrier for utilization of the EPR effect in future development of cancer therapeutics.     

Microbubble-enhanced ultrasound to deliver an antisense oligodeoxynucleotide targeting the human androgen receptor into prostate tumours

We have shown recently that downregulation of the androgen receptor (AR), one of the key players in prostate tumor cells, with short antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) results in inhibition of prostate tumor growth. Particularly with regard to an application of these antisense drugs in vivo, we now investigated the usefulness of microbubble-enhanced ultrasound to deliver these ODNs into prostate cancer cells.

Our short antisense AR ODNs were loaded onto the lipid surface of cationic gas-filled microbubbles by ion charge binding, and delivered into the cells by bursting the loaded microbubbles with ultrasound. In vitro experiments were initially performed to show that this kind of delivery system works in principle. In fact, transfection of prostate tumor cells with antisense AR ODNs using microbubble-enhanced ultrasound resulted in 49% transfected cells, associated with a decrease in AR expression compared to untreated controls. In vivo, uptake of a digoxigenin-labelled ODN was found in prostate tumour xenografts in nude mice following intratumoral or intravenous injection of loaded microbubbles and subsequent exposure of the tumour to ultrasound, respectively. Our results show that ultrasound seems to be the driving force of this delivery system. Uptake of the ODN was also observed in tumors after treatment with ultrasound alone, with only minor differences compared to the combined use of microbubbles and ultrasound.     

Study on the Multidrug Resistance 1 Gene Transfection Efficiency Using Adenovirus Vector Enhanced by Ultrasonic Microbubbles In Vitro

As gene delivery reagents, microbubbles have been successfully used in combination with ultrasound. Shock wave exposure has been shown to transfect cells with naked DNA in vitro, but it has not been tested whether the addition of microbubbles would enhance DNA uptake with adenovirus vector. Therefore, the aim of this study was to study the efficacy and safety of multidrug resistance 1 (MDR1) gene transfer into the bone marrow mononuclear cells of rabbits using adenovirus vector enhanced by ultrasound with microbubbles in vitro. The transfection rate of the MDR1 gene was significantly increased by ultrasound microbubbles with adenovirus. After ultrasonic irradiation, there were transient holes in the cell membrane, which disappeared after irradiation by ultrasound for 24 h. The temporary swelling of the organelles was reversible. Our in vitro findings conclusively demonstrate that the exogenous MDR1 gene transfer into the mononuclear cells of rabbits with adenovirus vector was enhanced by the ultrasonic microbubbles and this transfection technique is safe.     

A nanosensitizer self-assembled from oleanolic acid and chlorin e6 for synergistic chemo/sono-photodynamic cancer therapy

BackgroundSono-photodynamic therapy (SPDT) which is the combination of photodynamic therapy (PDT) and sonodynamic therapy (SDT), could exert much better anti-cancer effects than monotherapy. The combination of chemotherapy and PDT or SDT has shown great potential for cancer treatment. However, the combination of SPDT and chemotherapy for cancer treatment is rarely explored.PurposeWe utilized a natural hydrophobic anti-cancer drug oleanolic acid (OA) and a photosensitizer chlorin e6 (Ce6) through self-assembly technology to form a carrier-free nanosensitizer OC for combined chemotherapy and SPDT for cancer treatment. No studies involving using carrier-free nanomedicine for combined chemotherapy/SPDT have been reported yet.Study designAfter fully characterization of OC, the in vitro and in vivo anti-cancer activities of OC were investigated and the mechanisms of the synergistic therapeutic effects were studied.MethodsOC were synthesized through self-assembly technology and characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and an atomic force microscope (AFM). Confocal microscope was used to investigate the intracellular uptake efficiency and the penetration ability of OC. The cell viability of PC9 and 4T1 cells treated with OC under laser and ultrasound (US) irradiation was determined by MTT assay. Furthermore, flow cytometry was performed to detect the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Finally, the anti-tumor therapeutic efficacy of OC was investigated in orthotopic 4T1 breast tumor-bearing mouse model.ResultsOC showed an average particle size of around 100 nm with excellent light stability. OC increased more than 23 times accumulation of Ce6 in cancer cells and had strong tumor penetration ability in three-dimensional (3D) multicellular tumor spheroids (MCTSs). Compared with other therapeutic options, OC showed obvious synergistic inhibitory effects under light and US irradiation in PC9 and 4T1 cells with a significant decrease in IC₅₀ values. Mechanism studies showed that OC could generate high ROS, induce MMP loss, and cause apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. In vivo studies also approved the synergistic therapeutic effects of OC in 4T1 mouse models.ConclusionSelf-assembled carrier-free nanosensitizer OC could be a promising therapeutic agent for synergistic chemo/sono-photodynamic therapy for cancer treatment.     

二氯乙酸钠和氯喹联合整合素亚单位的shRNA的协同抗肿瘤作用

目的:探究二氯乙酸钠、氯喹和表达整合素β3、β5亚单位的shRNA的重组病毒协同抗肿瘤作用。方法:探究二氯乙酸钠、氯喹和表达整合素β3、β5亚单位的shRNA的重组病毒对肝癌细胞株HepG2皮下异种移植瘤生长的影响,通过免疫组化试验检测药物对肿瘤血管生成、肿瘤细胞凋亡、增殖的影响。结果:在小鼠HepG2皮下移植瘤体内试验中可见单用氯喹对肿瘤生长抑制作用明显弱于单用二氯乙酸钠或两者合用,两药联合使用对肝癌细胞株HepG2产生的小鼠皮下移植瘤具有良好的抑制生长作用,并且使得小鼠能够很好地耐受氯喹,荷瘤所致的小鼠体重下降也得到缓解。单用表达整合素β3、β5亚单位的shRNA腺病毒对肿瘤抑制作用弱,合用两个化合物和表达整合素β3、β5亚单位的shRNA腺病毒则对小鼠HepG2移植瘤生长产生持续抑制作用,并减少单用表达整合素β3、β5亚单位的shRNA腺病毒对体重的影响。HE染色结果显示,给药后各组细胞结构被破坏,CD31和Ki67染色显示用药各组同步减少,TUNEL染色显示用药后各组细胞凋亡增加,其中二氯乙酸钠/氯喹/整合素β5和β3 shRNA腺病毒组最为明显,结果表明二氯乙酸钠/氯喹/整合素β5和β3 shRNA腺病毒联用具有显著的抗肿瘤生长作用,其机制是降低肿瘤的微血管密度、抑制肿瘤细胞的增殖和增加肿瘤细胞凋亡。结论:二氯乙酸钠、氯喹和表达整合素亚单位的shRNA的重组病毒进行组合具有协同抗肿瘤作用,为联合用药的设计及应用提供了参考。     

The liposomal daunorubicin plus tamoxifen: improving the stability, uptake, and biodistribution of carriers

The synergistic effects of tamoxifen on the sensitivity of MCF-7 cells to daunorubicin have been reported. Whether the effects of daunorubicin on MCF-7/adr cells can be improved by tamoxifen in liposomes and how tamoxifen changes daunorubicin's behavior in vivo remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of tamoxifen on the uptake and biodistribution of daunorubicin liposomes by breast-cancer-resistant MCF-7/adr cells in vitro and in vivo. The uptake of liposomes by MCF-7/adr cells in vitro studies was measured using flow cytometry and laser confocal microscopy. The biodistributions of carriers and free drugs were evaluated by DiR dye using in vivo imaging. Tamoxifen obviously enhanced the cellular uptake of liposomes by MCF-7/adr cells in time-dependent manners. According to the results from in vivo imaging analysis, the mean fluorescence intensity of DiR liposomes with tamoxifen in the tumor regions of MCF-7/adr tumor-bearing nude mice was much stronger than that of DiR liposomes alone (16,450 ± 1,331 versus 3,666 ± 321; n = 3). Pegylated liposomes elongated the existence of daunorubicin in the circulatory system and the enhanced permeability and retention effect enhanced its concentration in local tumor tissues, which may provide the precondition for tamoxifen further promoting the uptake by MCF-7/Adr cells in vivo. Using daunorubicin liposomes and tamoxifen together generates better biodistribution profiles in tumor tissue than using daunorubicin liposomes only, which contributes to improving the therapeutic effect of breast cancer treatment.     

Cyanine 5.5 Conjugated Nanobubbles as a Tumor Selective Contrast Agent for Dual Ultrasound-Fluorescence Imaging in a Mouse Model

Nanobubbles and microbubbles are non-invasive ultrasound imaging contrast agents that may potentially enhance diagnosis of tumors. However, to date, both nanobubbles and microbubbles display poor in vivo tumor-selectivity over non-targeted organs such as liver. We report here cyanine 5.5 conjugated nanobubbles (cy5.5-nanobubbles) of a biocompatible chitosan–vitamin C lipid system as a dual ultrasound-fluorescence contrast agent that achieved tumor-selective imaging in a mouse tumor model. Cy5.5-nanobubble suspension contained single bubble spheres and clusters of bubble spheres with the size ranging between 400–800 nm. In the in vivo mouse study, enhancement of ultrasound signals at tumor site was found to persist over 2 h while tumor-selective fluorescence emission was persistently observed over 24 h with intravenous injection of cy5.5-nanobubbles. In vitro cell study indicated that cy5.5-flurescence dye was able to accumulate in cancer cells due to the unique conjugated nanobubble structure. Further in vivo fluorescence study suggested that cy5.5-nanobubbles were mainly located at tumor site and in the bladder of mice. Subsequent analysis confirmed that accumulation of high fluorescence was present at the intact subcutaneous tumor site and in isolated tumor tissue but not in liver tissue post intravenous injection of cy5.5-nanobubbles. All these results led to the conclusion that cy5.5-nanobubbles with unique crosslinked chitosan–vitamin C lipid system have achieved tumor-selective imaging in vivo.     

盐酸洛拉曲克在体内、外对S-180细胞株的抗增殖作用

研究合合成新型胸苷合成酶抑制剂盐酸洛拉曲克在体内、外对S－180细胞株及正常人胚肾HEK293细胞的抗增殖作用;使用MTT法测定抑制率,以提高荷腹水瘤小鼠存活时间及荷实体瘤瘤重减轻情况为指标考察盐酸洛拉曲克对S－180所致肿瘤的治疗作用。结果表明：在体外盐酸洛拉曲克对S－180肿瘤细胞株有较强的细胞毒作用,对正常细胞HEK293抑制作用较弱（P＜0.05）;体内实验显示盐酸洛拉曲克可明显提高荷腹水瘤小鼠的存活时间,减轻荷实体瘤小鼠的瘤重,疗效与氟尿嘧啶（10mg/kg）相当（P＞0.05）或更好（P＜0.05）。可见,盐酸洛拉曲克在体内、外对S－180肿瘤细胞有显著的抗增殖作用,在体外对肿瘤细胞 具有选择性的抗增殖作用。     

Anti-cancer effect and structural characterization of endo-polysaccharide from cultivated mycelia of Inonotus obliquus

The endo-polysaccharide extracted from mycelia of Inonotus obliquus (Pers.:Fr.) Pil. (Hymenochaetaceae) is a specific activator of B cells and macrophages. However, the in vivo anti-cancer effects and the chemical structure of the endo-polysaccharide are unknown. We purified the endo-polysaccharide, investigated its anti-cancer effects via in vitro and in vivo assays, and performed a structural characterization. The endo-polysaccharide was extracted from I. obliquus mycelia cultivated in a 300-l pilot fermenter, followed by hot water extraction and ethanol precipitation. Purification was achieved by DEAE-cellulose ion-exchange chromatography and gel-permeation chromatography. Chemical analysis revealed that the purified endo-polysaccharide is an alpha-linked fucoglucomannan with a molecular weight of approximately 1,000 kDa. The anti-cancer activities of the endo-polysaccharide against various types of tumor cells were determined. No direct toxicity against either cancer or normal cells was observed. Intraperitoneal administration of the endo-polysaccharide significantly prolonged the survival rate of B16F10-implanted mice, resulting in a 4.07-fold increase in the survival rate at a dose of 30 mg/kg/day. After 60 days of feeding, approximately 67% of the initial number of mice survived with no tumor incidence based on macroscopic examination. These results indicate that the anti-cancer effect of endo-polysaccharide is not directly tumorcidal but rather is immuno-stimulating.     

Anticancer Activity of MPT0E028, a Novel Potent Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor, in Human Colorectal Cancer HCT116 Cells In Vitro and In Vivo

Recently, histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors have emerged as a promising class of drugs for treatment of cancers, especially subcutaneous T-cell lymphoma. In this study, we demonstrated that MPT0E028, a novel N-hydroxyacrylamide-derived HDAC inhibitor, inhibited human colorectal cancer HCT116 cell growth in vitro and in vivo. The results of NCI-60 screening showed that MPT0E028 inhibited proliferation in both solid and hematological tumor cell lines at micromolar concentrations, and was especially potent in HCT116 cells. MPT0E028 had a stronger apoptotic activity and inhibited HDACs activity more potently than SAHA, the first therapeutic HDAC inhibitor proved by FDA. In vivo murine model, the growth of HCT116 tumor xenograft was delayed and inhibited after treatment with MPT0E028 in a dose-dependent manner. Based on in vivo study, MPT0E028 showed stronger anti-cancer efficacy than SAHA. No significant body weight difference or other adverse effects were observed in both MPT0E028-and SAHA-treated groups. Taken together, our results demonstrate that MPT0E028 has several properties and is potential as a promising anti-cancer therapeutic drug.     

Antibody and complement modulation of tumor cell growth in vitro and in vivo.

Low doses of highly purified anti-TNP (trinitrophenyl) antibody specifically stimulated nucleoside uptake in TNP-substituted L cells and low doses of heterospecific anti-L cell antibody stimulated nucleoside incorporation, DNA synthesis, and cell growth in L cells in vitro. High concentrations of antibody inhibited these processes. Complement activated through C3 augmented the cytostimulatory effects of low concentrations of antibody and activated through C9 augmented the cytoinhibitory effects of antibody. One very early effect of cytostimulatory concentrations of antibody is activation of membrane carrier transport systems as seen with 45Ca2+ uptake. Growth of L cells in tissue culture in the continuous presence of a cytostimulatory concentration of antibody selected for a variant cell line that was less responsive to antibody, thought to be due to a blocking effect of increased amounts of sialic acid. In vivo experiments documented that the same antibody could modulate L cell tumor growth in T cell-depleted mice, depending on whether a low or high concentration of antibody was given passively. In the experimental systems used, therefore, antitumor antibody and complement directly modulate the growth of tumor cells.     

顺铂联合VEGF抗体对食管癌移植瘤小鼠免疫调节以及癌细胞增殖和肺转移的影响

摘要 目的：研究顺铂联合血管内皮生长因子（vascular endothelial growth factor,VEGF）治疗对食管癌移植瘤小鼠免疫功能、癌细胞增殖以及肺转移的影响。方法：30只BALB/c小鼠通过皮下注射食管癌移植瘤模型。一周后,30只食管癌移植瘤模型小鼠被随机均分为3组,即模型组、顺铂组和联合组。模型组不进行治疗,顺铂组腹腔注顺铂治疗,联合组腹腔注射顺铂联合尾静脉注射VEGF抗体进行治疗,共治疗7周。比较各组小鼠体重,食管癌移植瘤体积和重量,卵巢癌细胞肺组织转移结节数、癌细胞转移面积和转移病灶总数,以及食管癌移植瘤外周血CD4⁺、CD8⁺以及CD4⁺/CD8⁺ T淋巴细胞比例。结果：（1）顺博组和联合组小鼠体重均显著高于对照组,而联合组小鼠体重显著高于顺铂组（P<0.05）;（2）顺铂组和联合组小鼠CD4+和CD8+细胞比例均显著低于对照组（P<0.05）,而CD4⁺/CD8⁺却显著高于对照组（P<0.05）;（3）联合组小鼠CD4⁺和CD8⁺细胞比例均显著高于对照组（P<0.05）,而CD4⁺/CD8⁺却显著低于顺铂组（P<0.05）;（4）顺铂组和联合组小鼠食管癌肿瘤组织体积和重量,肺转移结节数、转移面积和转移病灶数均显著低于对照组（P<0.05）,而联合组小鼠显著低于顺铂组（P<0.05）。结论：VEGF抗体可以显著增强顺铂在体内对食管癌的抗癌特性,并有助于增强食管癌移植瘤小鼠免疫功能、抑制癌细胞体内增殖和肺部转移。     

华蟾素通过下调PIM3的表达抑制高转移胃癌细胞的实验研究

目的:胃癌(GC)是全球第四大常见癌症.丁硫磷是华蟾酥的主要活性成分,从蟾蜍的皮肤和腮腺毒腺中提取,在体外具有抗癌活性.然而,丁硫磷是否对胃癌有抗癌作用尚不清楚.本研究旨在评价丁硫磷对GC的抑制作用.方法:以高转移性MKN28 GC细胞为细胞模型,研究华蟾素的抗癌作用.使用CCK-8测定细胞活力,LDH检测丁硫磷对细胞...     

Microencapsulation [corrected] of tumor cells and assay for selecting anticancer drugs

A microencapsulation of living tumor cells by an improved membrane and droplet forming technique was established in our laboratory. This semipermeable microencapsulating membrane was impermeable to serum albumins (M.W. 66,000 or 45,000) and human hemoglobin (M.W. 64,000), but permitted passage of low molecular weight substances (alpha-Lactalbumin, or Trypsinogen; M.W. 14,200 or 24,000). The in vivo results showed that microencapsulated tumor cell lines (KB, human oral epidermoid cell; P-388 lymphocytic leukemia; GBM 8401/TSGH, glioma) and human colorectal carcinoma cells grew and proliferated exponentially within twenty days. The in vivo growth exhibited better than that in vitro. Histological and morphological findings of these four different kinds of tumor cells are similar to those of original tumor cells. Treatment of the microencapsulated tumor cells (MTC) with cytotoxic drugs (adriamycin, 5-fluorouracil and cyclophosphamide) in vitro showed no significant difference in percent inhibition (p greater than 0.05) between the encapsulated and non-encapsulated cells. The in vivo data indicated that different anti-cancer drugs had different inhibition effects. The results showed that the MTC model was useful for screening an appropriate cytotoxic drug and could be applied to clinical medicine in the near future.     

In vivo natural antitumor resistance against murine EL-4 lymphoma cells in lethally irradiated syngeneic C57Bl/6 mice

Natural resistance has been detected in lethally irradiated C57Bl/6 (B6) mice inoculated intravenously with the ascites form of a syngeneic B6 leukemia. EL-4 cells were injected into lethally irradiated (800 R) B6 mice and tumor cell proliferation was evaluated by 125IUdR uptake in different organs 4 days after the challenge. Differential growth of lymphoma cells was observed when young mice were injected as compared with older mice and when mice were treated with agents known to interfere with natural resistance (e.g., poly(I:C), FLV-P, carrageenan, cyclophosphamide, high doses of irradiated cells). Similar results were obtained by measuring rapid clearance of 125IUdR-labeled EL-4 cells from lungs of intact B6 mice. In vivo cold competition studies, employing EL-4 and several other tumor lines of the same or different haplotype, showed that only EL-4 and RBL-5 cells were capable of inhibiting syngeneic resistance against EL-4 tumor. On the contrary, YAC-1 lymphoma cells, the most susceptible target to natural killer-mediated cytotoxicity in vitro, did not compete. These results suggest that EL-4 cells express membrane determinants not detectable on normal H-2b parental bone marrow cells and are susceptible to natural resistance against hemopoietic tumor cells in lethally irradiated syngeneic B6 mice.