Antitumor Activity of Normal Human Globulin: Effects on Murine and Human Erythroleukemic Cells

Abstract

The effect of the antitumor fraction isolated from the α₂-globulin region of normal human serum (NHG-I) upon murine (FELC) and human (K562) erythroleukemic cells in vitro was determined. NHG-I inhibited the growth of both actively growing FELC and K562 cells in a dose-dependent manner. However, it had no effect upon mitomycin C treated FELC which were unable to divide nor upon dimethylsulfoxide-induced FELC in stationary phase. These results indicate that NHG-I has a cytostatic effect upon cell growth and suggests that its action may be dependent upon DNA synthesis. This is in marked contrast to TNF, the α₂-globulin factor obtained from murine serum which is also not species-specific but whose action upon these cell lines is cytotoxic.