Cell yield and cell survival following chemotherapy of the B16 melanoma

We describe in this paper cell survival studies, using in vitro clonogenic assays, performed on the B16 melanoma treated in situ with various cytotoxic agents. In addition we have determined the effects of these agents on the yield of cells obtained by trypsinization. In untreated tumours the mean cell yield was approximately 10(8)/g, which is 20--30% of the cells actually present in the tissue. The plating efficiency was approximately 40%. Most agents rapidly affected both cell yield and cell survival. For example, within 20--30 h, gamma-radiation and several alkylating agents reduced cell yield by about 40%. The cell yield change was associated with an increase in mean cell size. Cell yield was reduced even more (approximately 70%) by Vinca alkaloids. This large reduction was associated with extensive cell lysis, observed as an increase in the necrotic fraction of tumours from approximately 35% to approximately 70%. Adriamycin, bleomycin and Ara-C also produced a moderate reduction in cell yield (approximately 40%), but actinomycin D did not reduce cell yield and FU increased it by about 30%. Only gamma-radiation, cyclophosphamide, CCNU, BCNU and melphalan produced more than a 90% reduction in cell survival, although there was a small but measurable reduction with all other agents except vinblastine, HN2 and actinomycin D.