Adaptation of Sinclair swine melanoma cells to long-term growth in vitro.

Sinclair swine melanoma usually regresses in vivo. In the present study, swine melanoma cells were adapted to long-term growth in culture. The morphology of cultured melanoma cells ranged from dendritic to cuboidal, similar to that described for human melanoma cells. Doubling times of the swine melanoma cells were also similar to those of human melanoma cells in vitro. 3,4-Dihydroxy-L-phenylalanine oxidase-positive cells were detected by light microscopy, and melanin and premelanosomes were detected by electron microscopy. Cell cultures could be propagated from progressing, partially regressed, and primary cutaneous lesions, as well as from visceral metastases. Thus, it appears that, under these cell culture conditions, Sinclair swine melanoma cells can be adapted to prolonged growth in vitro.