title: Stimulation of clonal growth of human colorectal tumor cells by IL-3 and GM-CSF. Modulation of 5-FU cytotoxicity by GM-CSF.
abstract: We studied the influence of recombinant human (rh) interleukin-3 (IL-3) and rh granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) on the clonal growth of a human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line in a methylcellulose assay for colony growth of solid tumor cell lines (HTCAMC) and a capillary modification of a human tumor cloning assay in agar (HTCAcap). Both growth factors stimulated the clonal growth of this cell line in a dose-dependent fashion. Neutralizing the monoclonal antibody abolished the effect of rhGM-CSF. There was an inverse correlation between the spontaneous plating efficacy (PE) of the cells and their susceptibility to the stimulation by the growth factors. From day 4 to 7 we found conditions in which clusters and colonies occurred preferentially in the growth factor-stimulated cultures. Single colonies taken from these cultures grew rapidly into macroscopically visible tumors in liquid cultures and had a high secondary PE (PE2) in the HTCAcap, both presenting an argument against a differentiating effect of the growth factors on this tumor cell line. Furthermore, we were able to define conditions in which rhGM-CSF significantly increased the cytotoxicity of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). However, this effect was dependent on spontaneous PE of the cells, degree of stimulation by the factor, degree of cytotoxicity of 5-FU in the controls, as well as the therapeutic regimen. Since there were only narrow margins for a beneficial effect of rhGM-CSF in this setting when absolute numbers of surviving colonies were counted, it remains doubtful whether this approach will be exploitable in the clinical situation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine I, Technische Universität München.
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Berdel
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Danhauser-Riedl
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Steinhauser
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rastetter
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007377:Interleukin-3 / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D014410:Tumor Stem Cell Assay
chemical_list: D007377:Interleukin-3; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor; D005472:Fluorouracil