title: Evaluation of cell proliferation and cell death based assays in chemosensitivity testing.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Drug sensitivity testing (DST) is used to predict the clinical response to chemotherapy with limited success. Our objective was to evaluate assays that measure cell proliferation or apoptosis in determining sensitivity of ovarian cancer cells to cisplatin and paclitaxel.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four ovarian cancer lines were used. LD10-LD90 doses were determined by viability assays. Assays measuring cell proliferation, sulforhodamine-B (SRB), tritiated thymidine; and cell death, diphenylamine or DNA histone ELISA were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SRB assay was consistent and sensitive. Histone ELISA correlated with the viability assay at high doses. The [3H] thymidine test was not sensitive and resulted in false positive responses. While less sensitive, detection of apoptosis by diphenylamine assay shows a similar trend to histone ELISA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We demonstrate significant differences between the various assays. Most of these assays are better predictors of resistance. Further studies are needed to determine the best correlation between in vitro testing and responses in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, KY 40202, USA. catayl01@gwise.louisville.edu
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gerçel-Taylor
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ackermann
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Taylor
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000494:pharmacology; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004159:Diphenylamine / Q000032:analysis; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor / Q000379:methods*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D006801:Humans; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000494:pharmacology; D012235:Rhodamines; D013936:Thymidine / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D012235:Rhodamines; C022027:lissamine rhodamine B; D004159:Diphenylamine; D017239:Paclitaxel; D002945:Cisplatin; D013936:Thymidine