[Relationship between sensitivity of tumor cells to chemotherapeutic agent in vivo and in vitro: experiment with mouse lymphoma cells].
OBJECTIVE
To study the relationship of the sensitivity of tumor cells to chemotherapeutic agent between in vivo and in vitro.


METHODS
Mouse lymphoma cells of the line E14 were cultured and melphalan resistant EL4 cell line (EL4/melphalan) was established by culturing EL4 cells with continuous low-concentration and intermittent gradually-increasing-concentration of melphalan in vitro. MTT assay was used to evaluate the drug sensitivity and the resistance index of the EL4/melphalan cells to melphalan was calculated. EL4/melphalan and EL4 cells of the concentration of 5 x 10(8)/L were inoculated separately into 20 C57BL/6 mice subcutaneously. 12 days later, the EL4 and EL4/melphalan tumor-bearing mice were randomly divided into 2 groups respectively, 5 mice in each group. Treatment groups were given 7.5 mg/kg melphalan intraperitoneally, and control groups were given the same volume of normal saline. The tumor size was observed every other day.


RESULTS
Compared with the EL4 cells, the EL4/melphalan cells had no obvious changes morphologically. They could grow in RPMI 1640 medium containing 5 mg/ml melphalan. The resistance index was 2.87 against melphalan. After the treatment of melphalan of the dose 7.5 mg/kg, the tumor sizes of the treatment groups and control groups inoculated with both EL4 cells and the EL4/melphalan cells gradually decreased at the similar speed, and about one week later all tumors disappeared. However, the tumors of the control groups grew progressively and all the mice died at last.


CONCLUSIONS
The chemotherapeutic effects of tumors in vivo have nothing to do with the effects of the chemotherapeutic agents on tumor cells in vitro. The tumor cells resistant to melphalan in vitro remain sensitive to the drug in vivo.
Li
Chuan-gang
CG
Department of Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116023, China.
Li
Mo-lin
ML
Shu
Xiao-hong
XH
Jia
Yu-jie
YJ
Liu
Yong-ji
YJ
Li
Ming
M
D000818:Animals; D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D005260:Female; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008558:Melphalan / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011897:Random Allocation; D013997:Time Factors; D047368:Tumor Burden / Q000187:drug effects