Effects of Treatment with Nimustine (ACNU), a Bifunctional Alkylating Anticancer Agent, on Cultured Resting L1210 Cells

抄録

Resting L1210 cells were treated with nimustine (ACNU), a bifunctional alkylating anticancer agent, for 2h in a nutrient-depleted medium. The cells were then transferred to a fresh medium and incubated for a further 48 h. Functions of the cells thus prepared were examined in terms of the dye-exclusion of the membrane, 2, 3-bis(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-5-[(phenylamino)carbonyl]-2H-tetrazolium hydroxide, inner salt, sodium salt (XTT)-reducing ability of the mitochondria, and heat generation due to vital metabolism as the measure of cell viability. The cells treated with ACNU were functioning normally in all the cell functions examined but were completely devoid of proliferating capacity. These results suggest the possibility that ACNU might impair the proliferative capacity of the resting cell population inside a solid tumor without causing such impairment to the cells of normal organs and tissues composed of intrissically non-proliferative cells.