Inhibition of antibody-complement-mediated killing of tumor cells by hormones.

Line 1, a chemically induced guinea pig hepatoma, is susceptible to killing by anti-Forssman immunoglobulin M antibody and guinea pig complement. When these tumor cells are pretreated at 37 degrees with 10(-4) to 10(-11) M concentrations of the polypeptide hormone insulin, with the catecholamine L-epinephrine-HCl, or with the glucocorticoid steroids hydrocortisone sodium succinate or prednisolone sodium succinate, the cells show a marked reduction in their suseptibility to killing by antibody and guinea pig complement; pretreatment at 0 degrees is ineffective. Similar results were obtained with another antigenically distinct guinea pig hepatoma (line 10) when tested with anti-Forssman immuno-globulin M or specific antitumor antibodies and human complement. The ability of the hormones to render the cells resistant is dependent on time, temperature, and hormone concentration. The effect of hormone treatment is maximal between 30 and 60 min and is reversible within 4 hr even in the continued presence of hormone. Treatment of line 1 cells with up to 10,000-fold greater concentrations of the less biologically active or inactive analogs, DL-epinephrine, beta-estradiol, testosterone, or proinsulin has no effect on the susceptibility of the cells to killing by antibody and guinea pig complement. The effect of hormone treatment is not due to a direct inactivation of bound or fluid-phase complement components by the hormones or to a decrease in the ability of the cells to bind complement-fixing antibody.