title: The MTT assay for chemosensitivity testing of human tumors of the central nervous system. Part I: Evaluation of test-specific variables.
abstract: The aim of this study was to optimize the experimental conditions of the MTT assay for primary cultures of human brain tumors. This assay is based on the mitochondrial reduction of MTT-(3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) salt to formazan crystals by living cells. Formazan can be quantified spectrophotometrically. This assay measures the antimetabolic and, by using an adequate recovery period for the cells, also the antiproliferative effects of cytotoxic drugs. Our results suggest the following experimental design for its application as an chemosensitivity assay for human brain tumors: 1-h drug exposure followed by a seven days recovery period without drugs. Then tumor cells are incubated 4 hours with 1 mg MTT/ml and final absorbance readings are performed at 550 nm and 630 nm as test and reference wavelengths respectively. In this way, the assay seems to be a reliable and simple method for rapid chemosensitivity testing in human brain tumors.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neuropathology, Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nikkhah
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Tonn
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Kraemer
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Darling
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schönmayr
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schachenmayr
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D004396:Coloring Agents; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; D013844:Thiazoles; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004396:Coloring Agents; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; D013844:Thiazoles; C022616:thiazolyl blue