ATLA::Alternatives to Laboratory Animals

Volume 25, Number 1

Preselection of potential cancerostatics by automatic analysis of suspended and adherent cells incubated in mircoplates.

ATLA 25, 45-54, January/February 1997

Walter Gutsche¹ and Axel Stelzner²

¹Hans Knöll Institute of Natural Product Research, Beutenbergstrasse 11, 07745 Jena, Germany; ²Clinicum of the Friedrich Schiller University, Institute of Virology, Winzerlaer Strasse 10, 07745 Jena, Germany

SUMMARY

Alternative toxicological screening programmes, without the use of animal experiments, are intended to eliminate dangerous substances and to find new pharmacologically active agents in cell cultures. They can also provide information on the cytostatic activities of the agents. Intercalating cytostatics which bind DNA were selected by measuring the statistical distributions of the cell diameters of K-562 and L-929 cells by using an electronic cell analyzer (CASY1). These compounds were identified by cell enlargement or from flat concentration-activity curves created with the cell analyser system. Incubation for 72 hours with DNA-binding agents, such as doxorubicin, daunorubicin and Mitoxantron®, resulted in enlargement of cell diameter and cell volume. The antineoplastic agents actinomycin D and ambazone had no comparable effect. Comparisons of the different parameters obtained with CASY1 measurement were performed with Microsoft EXCEL.

Keywords: cytostatics, electronic screening, cell culture