Characteristics of the two newly established cell lines of human pulmonary adenocarcinoma and their sensitivity to anticancer agents.

: Two adenocarcinoma cell lines were established from metastatic lymph node of lung cancer patients. The cell lines were named NUTLC-1 and NUTLC-3. They were found to have the following biological characterization and sensitivity to anticancer agents by comparison with clinical effect of the drugs on each donor patient: 1) By chromosomal analysis, the tumor cells of two cell lines were human-origin cells. Number of chromosomes of these cell lines ranged from 67 to 77 in NUTLC-1 cells and from 61 to 66 in NUTLC-3 cells, with the modal numbers of 73 and 64, respectively. 2) The tumor cells of the two cell lines were heterotransplanted subcutaneously into nude mice, but, no natural distant metastasis was observed 2 months after transplantation. 3) Sensitivity to anticancer agents on NUTLC-1 and NUTLC-3 cells differed individually according to methylthiazol tetrazorium (bromide) (MTT) colorimetric assay. NUTLC-1 cells were sensitive to Mitomycin C (MMC) and Adriamycin (ADM), and insensitive to Cisplatinum (CDDP), 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) and Etoposide (VP-16). Antitumor effect of CDDP and 5-FU on recurrent tumor of donor patient was not observed clinically. NUTLC-3 cells were sensitive to CDDP, MMC and ADM, and insensitive to 5-FU and VP-16. Sensitivity to CDDP and MMC on NUTLC-3 cells also correlated to clinical effect of the drugs on the donor patient. From these results, it appears that these new cell lines are useful materials for studies on lung cancer.