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L A Dethlefsen

Publications and source records attributed to L A Dethlefsen.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Murine mammary tumour cells in vitro. I. The development of a quiescent state.

Three mouse mammary tumour lines (66, 67, and 68H) derived from a single mouse mammary tumour were investigated for their growth kinetics and development of quiescent cells in unfed monolayer cultures. All three lines develop pure quiescent populations when grown in unfed plateau cultures. A dramatic cell-cycle redistribution accompanied the proliferating (P) to quiescent (Q) transition, with the percentage of cells having a G1 DNA content increasing from 50% in the P state to greater than 97% in the Q state. As the cultures progressed from exponential to plateau growth, a decrease of greater than or equal to 50% in cellular RNA was observed in all three lines. This property enables the clear identification of P v. Q cells by flow cytometry using the two-step acridine orange assay. Autoradiographic data verified that these plateau cells were quiescent since less than 2.5% of the cells incorporated [3H]TdR when labelled for approximately two doubling times. Further comparison of the P and Q cells showed that: (a) the Coulter volume of Q cells was approximately half that of P cells in all three lines; (b) viability, as measured by dye exclusion was greater than 95% in all cultures regardless of their proliferative state; and (c) colony-forming ability decreased as the cells entered the quiescent state. In each of these cell lines the development of Q-cell populations was marked by similar changes in all measured parameters. These quiescent tumour cells provide a relatively simple model to evaluate what, if any, important differences exist between the response of P v. Q cells to various therapeutic agents.

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Murine mammary tumour cells in vitro. II. Recruitment of quiescent cells.

The development of a pure quiescent (Q) tumour cell population can be induced in three mouse mammary tumour lines (66, 67 and 68H) by nutrient deprivation. When these Q cells were removed from nutrient-deprived cultures and replated in fresh medium at a lower cell concentration within 72 hr of entering quiescence virtually all of the Q cells could re-enter the proliferating (P) state. This recruitment was characterized by an increase in cell volume, an increase in total cellular RNA, and a resumption of cell division. The length of the Q to P transition varied among the three cell lines and the depth of the quiescent state depended on the amount of time the cells had been quiescent. Once re-entry into the P compartment was completed, cell-cycle times, as estimated by the culture doubling time, were the same as the cells that had not entered the Q state, however, after 72 hr in quiescence, not all of the 66 cells could reattach after trypsinization and of those that could reattach approximately equal to 50% were incapable of either increasing their RNA levels to that of proliferating G1 cells or entering S. Clonogenicity of the nutrient-deprived Q cells in these lines decreases exponentially from time the cells enter quiescence with approximate half-times of 32, 34, and 96 hr for the 66, 68H and 67 cells, respectively. Since clonogenicity was already declining at a time when all the Q cells could re-enter the P compartment, the ability of a Q cell to form a colony is not determined solely by its capacity to re-enter the proliferating compartment.

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Delayed enhanced effects of Adriamycin on the X-irradiation-induced gastrointestinal toxicity in mice.

The delayed responses of C3H mice which had been pretreated with various single-dose and two-dose fractionated Adriamycin/X-irradiation protocols were evaluated by stressing the 120-day survivors with either whole-abdomen X-irradiation (LD50/7 assay) or whole-body X-irradiation (crypt colony survival). Pretreatment with Adriamycin alone was as toxic as Adriamycin plus X-irradiation for the animals stressed at 120 days (LD50/7 assay). There was no induced cellular radioresistance (D0) and no apparent increase in crypt size as indicated indirectly by the 10-clone dose at 120 days after completion of treatment. The increased lethality of the X-irradiation-stressed 120-day survivors was most likely a primary gastrointestinal response with little or no contribution from either bone marrow or kidney toxicity. The effect was apparently due to a persistent Adriamycin-induced antiproliferative response at the cellular level but the molecular mechanisms are unknown. Such data suggest caution to our clinical colleagues. Cancer patients treated with high doses of Adriamycin, independent of concomitant X-irradiation, will most likely be moderately to severely compromised in their ability to respond to a stress which requires cellular proliferation, and, based on the murine data, this effect is persistent if, indeed, not permanent.

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Molecular cloning of the 3'-proximal third of Sendai virus genome.

Portions of the Sendai virus genome were randomly cloned by using virion 50S RNA and calf thymus DNA pentanucleotides as primers. The recombinant clones were probed first with radiolabeled products of an in vitro virion RNA polymerase reaction to locate early message clones and then with a probe from the viral genome 3' end to locate the most 3'-proximal clones. Clones were then ordered from the 3' end of the genome and used to construct a genetic map of the 3'-proximal third of the genome by hybrid-selection of mRNAs. We report that the gene order for this region is 3'-NP - P + C - M-5' and that the genetic loci of the viral P and C proteins cannot be separated by these techniques.

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Comparison of two flow cytometric assays for cellular RNA--acridine orange and propidium iodide.

Two flow cytometric assays for cellular RNA, two-step acridine orange (TSAO) and propidium iodide (PI), were compared with each other and with ultraviolet (uv) spectrophotometry of RNA to determine their ability to quantitate cellular RNA and to differentiate between proliferating and quiescent (Q) cells. The model system used for these comparisons was cells from unfed cultures of two mouse mammary tumor lines designated 66 and 67. The growth kinetics of unfed 67 and 66 cells were characterized by a decrease in cellular RNa (a factor of 2) with the decrease occurring throughout the entire population of cells as they entered plateau phase. The time course of the RNA decrease as monitored by the PI assay closely corresponded to that observed by uv spectrophotometric measurements. The TSAO assay, however, agreed with the uv spectroscopy and PI assays on the extent of the RNA decrease but showed no decrease in RNA until 24 hours after the other assays indicated that a significant decrease had occurred. The plateau cells from 67 and 66 unfed cultures had a greatly lowered RNA content and were predominately (greater than 97%) in the G1 phase of the cell cycle in terms of DNA content. However, when compared with exponentially growing cells, they were a distinct Q population. This distinction could be observed using either the TSAO or the PI assay. The TSAO assay provided better resolution of the Q population and has the added advantage of giving DNA distribution simultaneously. Therefore, both flow cytometric assays are particularly useful in this system; the TSAO for monitoring the Q population and the PI for determination of kinetic changes in total cellular RNA.

Acridine Orange↗

Control of cellular proliferation in HeLa-S3 suspension cultures. Characterization of cultures utilizing acridine orange staining procedures.

Growth control is investigated in detail in fed and unfed HeLa-S3 suspension cultures. Two-step acridine orange staining and flow cytometric analysis indicated declines in cellular red fluorescence (proportional to RNA content) of 40-50% between exponential and plateau phase in both culture types. Cellular green fluorescence (DNA content) assessed simultaneously indicates an increment of cells with Gi-DNA content in plateau phase in the unfed cultures, while fed cultures show a brief increment in G1-phase cells in the transition phase followed by a recovery in plateau phase to a value similar to that of exponential cultures. Temporal declines in the 3H-thymidine pulse-labeling index are observed in both culture systems. These data along with the flow cytometry data indicate a distinct G1-arrest in the unfed plateau cultures and suggest a random arrest of cells about the cell cycle in fed plateau cultures. Acidic acridine orange staining and flow cytometric analysis furthermore indicate the occurrence of a quiescent population comprising approximately 345 of the total cells and consisting of both dead and viable cells in plateau phase unfed cultures. In contrast, fed plateau cultures show approximately 14% quiescent, mostly dead cells. Also, both culture systems show temporal declines in the clonogenic index and a longer cell-cycle transit time in plateau phase relative to exponential phase. These findings confirm earlier work which indicates that the environment has a profound influence on the mode of growth control for mammalian cells in vitro.

Acridine Orange↗

Analytical cytometric approaches to heterogeneous cell populations in solid tumors: a review.

The problems encountered in studying the heterogeneity of cells in solid tumors is reviewed with emphasis on the role of various analytical cytometric assays for studying both the biology and the dynamics and proliferating, quiescent and dead malignant cells in vitro and in vivo. Due to advances in cytometric technology, many interesting in vitro studies on tumor cells heterogeneity have been and will be conducted over the next several years. For example, the acidic acridine orange staining of HeLa cells in suspension culture does readily discriminate between proliferating and quiescent cells. Some of these assays have been and others will be extended to in vivo studies. However, it is obvious that either the current analytical cytometric techniques must be modified and refined to permit better resolution for the complex situation in vivo or other new analytical cytometric techniques will have to be developed before many interesting studies on tumor cell heterogeneity in vivo can be addressed with reasonable efficiency.

Acridine Orange↗

Matrix algebraic simulation of mitotic cell selection experiments.

Mitotic cell selection experiments are frequently utilized in investigations on the effects of various metabolic inhibitors and/or X-irradiation on cell-cycle progression of mammalian cells in tissue culture. This study describes a method for matrix algebraic simulation of these experiments which involves the sequential multiplication of cell-population matrices, growth matrices, and mitotic cell-selection matrices. Simulations are shown for progression in control cultures and cultures perturbed either by X-rays or 2-mercapto-1(beta-4-pyridethyl) benzimidazole. Application of this model will enhance the planning of these investigations and allow more rigorous testing of alternate hypotheses concerning the mechanisms of action of perturbing agents.

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Total cellular RNA content: correlation between flow cytometry and ultraviolet spectroscopy.

Total RNA content in Chinese hamster ovary and HeLa-S3 cells determined by ultraviolet spectroscopy is compared with the red fluorescence distribution of acridine orange-stained cells observed by flow cytometry. A correlation coefficient of 0.93 is obtained when these methods of estimating RNA content are compared after various RNAse treatments. These data suggest that acridine orange staining effectively quantitates total cellular RNA content when analyzed by flow cytometry, although DNA is also shown to contribute a low but significant background of red fluorescence.

Acridine Orange↗

Alteration of murine mammary tumor metastasis and growth by cytomegalovirus infection.

Host resistance to the development of metastatic lesions is complex and involves both lymphocyte and macrophage functions. Studies in both humans and animals have suggested that cytomegalovirus infection may alter these components of the defense mechanism of the host. In the present study, an experimental model was developed to determine whether cytomegalovirus infection would affect host resistance to the establishment of metastatic tumor nodules in the lungs of C3H mice after i.v. inoculation of a single-cell suspension of mammary tumor cells. The number of tumor nodules in the lungs, the lungs-heart/body weight ratio, and the mean day of death were determined in control animals inoculated i.v. with 10(6) mammary tumor cells and compared with groups of animals also receiving a sublethal i.p. inoculum of murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) (10(5) plaque-forming units) either 3 days before, on the day of, or 10 or 13 days after tumor cell inoculation. The results suggest a biphasic effect of virus infection on tumor development in the lung. A preexisting or concurrent MCMV infection suppressed tumor growth and prolonged life, while a MCMV infection later in tumorigenesis enhanced tumor growth and shortened survival. These data suggest that MCMV modulates host resistance to the development of metastatic tumor nodules and that this experimental model may be utilized to investigate further the relationship between virus-induced alterations of host defense mechanisms and tumor growth.

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