Dynamic analysis of changing features of tumor cells incubated with antitumor agents in vitro and its application for predictive activity assay of antitumor agents.

Continuous observation of living malignant cells (L1210) in a specially devised glass observation chamber with an inverted microscope made it possible to classify various cellular morphological features induced by antitumor agents into the following four stages: 1) an initial stage consisting of cytoplasmic granulation and coloring, 2) an intermediate stage of shrinkage of nuclei, increases of vacuoles and cytoplasmic budding, 3) a determinate stage of cell ballooning and 4) the terminal stage (cell ghost). Both the initial and intermediate stages are characterized by cellular changes that appear at an early phase and remain opportunistic in terms of viability. Emergence of these cellular changes is largely dependent on the specific mode of action of antitumor agents. In contrast, definite irreversibility in the changes found in both the terminal and determinate stages was confirmed by continuous observation until the cells showed lytic or ghost features, using a video-recording system. A plot of the number of cells counted in both the determinate and terminal stages versus the time-dose schedule is designated as the "time-dose-response" plot, and this proved useful for estimating the characteristics of the antitumor agents tested and the actions of new antitumor agents on malignant cells (predictive activity assay graph).