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Biological Properties of the Human Colonic Adenocarcinoma Cell Line SW 620 Grown as a Xenograft in the Athymic Mouse¹

Departments of Laboratory Medicine [J. J. S., B. D.], Developmental Therapeutics [B. B.], and Biomathematics [R. A. W.], The University of Texas System Cancer Center, M. D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute, Houston, Texas 77030

The biological and cell kinetic properties of the poorly differentiated human colonic adenocarcinoma cell line SW 620 grown as xenografts in BALB/c athymic mice are described. The SW 620 cells consistently produced tumors when inoculated i.v., i.p., and s.c. The lowest cell inoculum requirements were seen i.p. where 10⁷ cells produced a 100% incidence. Intravenous inocula (10⁵ to 10⁸ cells) produced microscopic lung colonies within 30 days, becoming macroscopic nodules after 60 days. Subcutaneous tumors exhibited a marked Révész effect, using a thromboplastic brain extract which increased both tumor incidence and growth rate. All SW 620 xenografts presented a poorly differentiated morphology with extensive necrotic foci. No metastatic involvement was noted in any murine tissues. No demonstrable levels of carcinoembryonic antigen were present in the sera of animals bearing s.c. xenografts >5.0 cu cm.

Early SW 620 xenografts (0.3 to 0.6 cu cm) exhibited a characteristically human cell kinetic profile (T_c 34 to 42 hr; T_s 22 hr), with a growth fraction of 30.5% as measured by the primer-available DNA polymerase-index and a high cell loss factor (45%). Among late xenografts (1.1 to 1.6 cu cm), the kinetic events noted were an increase in the T_c, cell loss and, unexpectedly, an increase in the primer-available DNA polymerase index. A colony formation assay was established with the use of mechanical mincing plus collagenase (150 IU/ml; 37°; 30 min), which produced a mean plating efficiency of 33.6 ± 7.2% (S.E.) for s.c. xenografts (range, 14.6 to 51.0%).

The SW 620 xenograft model possesses the biological and cell kinetic profile of many human colonic adenocarcinomas in situ. These properties, coupled with the capacity for largescale xenograft production, should provide a clinically relevant model for the screening of potential antitumor agents and procedures.

¹ Supported by Grants CA 14528 and CA 16763 from the National Cancer Institute and by Biomedical Research Support Grant RR5511.

² To whom requests for reprints should be addressed.

Received 12/15/80. Accepted 5/19/81.