This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Haskill, J. S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Haskill, J. S.

Adriamycin-activated Macrophages as Tumor Growth Inhibitors

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Cancer Research Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514

Flow cytometry has been used to study the influence of Adriamycin- and Corynebacterium parvum-elicited cytostatic macrophages on the cell cycle of HeLa cells. Macrophages harvested from the peritoneal cavity of mice given i.p. injections of Adriamycin retain cytostatic activity for 3 to 4 days in vivo. Many of these macrophages fluoresced with the red emission spectra characteristic of Adriamycin. The decline in the presence of macrophages exhibiting red fluorescent cytoplasmic particles paralleled the loss in cytostatic activity.

Drug-induced cytostatic macrophages exhibited at least as high a level of growth inhibition as did C. parvum-activated cells. In contrast to the apparent G₁ block of HeLa cells which resulted from interaction with C. parvum-activated macrophages, Adriamycin-stimulated macrophages inhibited growth in the G₂-M phase characteristic of the free drug. Multiple freeze-thaw cycles removed all activity from C. parvum macrophages but had no influence on the Adriamycin-elicited effector cell activity. The data suggest that in vivo drug storage by macrophages may represent an important step in tumor cell destruction by Adriamycin.

¹ To whom requests for reprints should be addressed, at Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 620, F. L. O. B. Building, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, N. C. 27514.

Received 2/13/81. Accepted 7/ 1/81.