Drug sensitivity of non small cell carcinoma of lung by clonogenic assay in several media

Abstract

Summary Lung tumours of non small cell pathology were cultured by clonogenic assay in several media. Culture was successful in spleen conditioned medium, but only 57% grew and low plating efficiencies (PE) meant that only 23% of the original number produced significant drug results. Comparison of rat erythrocyte lysate (REL) medium with serum free defined medium (HITES) and HITES +10% FBS demonstrated clear enhancement of PE in REL although growth was 100% successful in all these media. Ninety-three percent of samples tested against drugs in REL produced significant results. A later comparison of REL with McCoy's SA+rbc+hydrocortisone produced relatively poor culture success for these 3 media and equivocal growth patterns. Low PE was attributed to age of rats used for rbc. Vindesine and cis-platinum cytotoxicity in spleen conditioned medium were 61% and 15% sensitivity respectively. These do not concur with clinical experience but the figures for overt resistance, at 39% and 69%, correspond with expected non-responders to these regimes. Drug testing in REL produced figures correlating more closely with clinical performance at 45% sensitivity to platinum and 36% of patients sensitive to both drugs, but the vindesine sensitivity at 55% is again discrepant with performance of this drug as a single agent.

Enhancement of cytotoxicity of vindesine and cis-platinum for human lung tumours by the use of verapamil in vitro

“…We were interested in its potential use for the enhancement of cytotoxicity of vindesine and cisplatinum in non-small cell cancer of lung (NSCCL). An earlier study (Simmonds et al, 1986) using primary patient material in clonogenic assay has confirmed the overall poor clinical response rates to these drugs reported by Elliott et al (1984).…”

“…We were interested in its potential use for the enhancement of cytotoxicity of vindesine and cisplatinum in non-small cell cancer of lung (NSCCL). An earlier study (Simmonds et al, 1986) using primary patient material in clonogenic assay has confirmed the overall poor clinical response rates to these drugs reported by Elliott et al (1984).In this study, 18 lung tumour samples, 17 squamous and 1 adenocarcinoma, were removed at thoracotomy of previously untreated patients and grown in the bilayered agar clonogenic assay system. In brief, samples were mechanically disaggregated with crossed scalpels in Hanks balanced salt solution (HBSS) with penicillin and streptomycin and resulting cell suspensions passed through needles of decreasing gauge to obtain single cells.…”