Toxicity of amphotericin B and its methyl ester toward normal and tumor cell lines.

The toxicity of amphotericin B, amphotericin B methyl ester (AME), and Fungizone toward three "normal" and three tumor-derived human and mouse cell lines was evaluated in monolayer culture. AME was less toxic than amphotericin B and Fungizone to all cell lines, but the sensitivity of the normal and tumor lines was different. The human (HEL-8 and WISH) and mouse (L-M) cells derived from normal tissue were more resistant to AME than the tumor-derived human (KB and HeLa) and mouse (RAG) cell as indicated by: (a) increased 24-hr survival, (b) increased 72-hr viability, and (c) growth rates at higher AME concentrations. In contrast, no pattern of differential sensitivity was observed with amphotericin B and Fungizone.