title: Long-term microcalorimetric findings in renal-cell carcinoma exposed to interferon-alpha-2a, interleukin-2 and 5-Fluorouracil.
abstract: The effect of chemotherapeutic and/or immunotherapeutic drugs on cells obtained from primarily cultured renal cell carcinoma (RCC) was investigated in a microcalorimetric study. This method enables the detection of heat flow in the submicrowatt range, which corresponds to a 1.0x10(-6) degrees C temperature change. The thermal power of 10 individual cell lines from patients with advanced RCC was measured by incubating cells with or without anti-cancer drugs (5-fluorouracil, interferon-alpha-2a, interleukin-2). Using a 4-channel microcalorimeter, it could be shown, that the combination of 5-FU with IFN-alpha-2a or IFN-alpha-2a plus IL-2 led to a significant reduction in thermal cell activity, compared with the addition of 5-FU on its own. These microcalorimetric observations appear to reflect the anti-neoplastic properties of the drugs tested in this study when compared with the findings in a calorimetric assay (MTT-assay).
authors.affiliation: UNIV GOTTINGEN,DEPT UROL,D-37075 GOTTINGEN,GERMANY.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schendel
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bluethnerhaessler
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ringert