@entity1 non-malignant and malignant @entity1313 derived cell cultures: proliferation and sensitivity to natural XXXX fibroblast (beta) interferon.

@entity1 @entity1313 @entity1042 @entity281 @entity5357
Twenty-one @entity1 @entity1313 biopsies were processed by mechanical and enzymatic methods to produce mixed cell suspensions. Cultures were prepared in small plastic flasks, and primary outgrowth occurred in 16/21 cultures. The period required for primary outgrowth ranged from 3 days to 14 days. We established serial propagation with 15/16 of the primary cultures. Sensitivity to @entity5357 was determined between passages 3 to 12, using a microassay based on cell viability (uptake of a supravital stain, neutral red). Extracted dye was quantified in acidic- @entity1042 using the MR580 Microelisa Autoreader (Dynatech). We observed a broad range of responsiveness to the drug among the 12 cell-strains tested. Thus, 4 cell strains were relatively sensitive; 4 were resistant to 10(4) IRU/ml of purified @entity5357 . Four cell strains exhibited a level of responsiveness that was intermediate to that of these two groups. During propagation of these biopsies, cytopathology suggestive of @entity281 appeared in 4 of the cell-strains. This characteristic was not uniformly associated with high sensitivity to @entity1 beta interferon which is a very potent, naturally occurring antiviral substance. Our results support the concept that information concerning sensitivity to @entity5357 and other cytostatic agents may be rapidly obtained using microcultures of @entity1313 cultures in conjunction with supravital stain uptake studies. Additionally, these results suggest that further clinical studies with beta interferon should be undertaken to define the parameters which determine successful in vivo application.
