To establish well-characterized cellular reagents for the study of colon carcinoma, we have examined 19 human colorectal carcinoma cell lines with regard to morphology, ultrastructure, expression of tumor-associated antigens, proliferative capacity in vitro, anchorage-independent growth, oncogene expression, tumorigenicity and malignant potential. Cell lines examined were cultured under identical conditions, and in vitro and in vivo analyses were performed in parallel on replicate cultures. Three classes of colorectal cell lines were defined according to their tumorigenicity in nude mice. Class-1 lines formed rapidly progressing tumors in nearly all mice at an inoculum of 10(6) cells. Cell lines belonging to class-2 were less tumorigenic, producing tumors later and at a slower growth rate. Class-3 lines were non-tumorigenic under all experimental conditions tested. By Northern analysis, the oncogenes c-myc, H-ras, K-ras, N-ras, myb, fos and p53 were expressed in nearly all cell lines examined. In contrast, transcripts for abl, src and ros were not detected. The best in vitro predictor of tumorigenicity was colony formation in soft agar. There was no detectable correlation between tumorigenicity and metastatic potential, doubling time in vitro, production of tumor-associated markers, xenograft histology or expression of specific oncogenes.

Endocytosis of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-encoded class I and class II molecules has been the subject of recent investigations. Class I molecules, which are key elements in T cell-mediated cytotoxicity, are differentially endocytosed by different cell types. Fibroblasts internalize their class I molecules via uncoated cell surface vesicles and tubular invaginations when these molecules are cross-linked with multivalent ligands. T lymphocytes internalize their class I molecules spontaneously, but B lymphocytes do not internalize them at all. Here we describe a morphological investigation of the mechanism by which class I molecules are endocytosed by T lymphocytes. We show that, unlike fibroblasts, T lymphocytes spontaneously internalize 20-40% of their class I molecules in a process involving coated pits and coated vesicles. Thus, the endocytic pathway of class I molecules in T lymphocytes is similar to those of other more classical cell-surface receptors involved in receptor-mediated endocytosis. In contrast, the same class I molecules remained on the cell surface in B lymphocytes. These data show that class I molecules are differentially regulated in T and B lymphocytes and fibroblasts.

Although numerous animal tumor models have been used to study colon carcinoma, few display metastatic properties. We have characterized an animal tumor model that has 3 properties essential for the study of metastasis of colon carcinoma cells: epithelial cell origin; a reproducible pattern of metastatic behavior and the ability to be propagated both in vitro and in vivo to facilitate identification of biochemical correlates of metastasis. The K12/TR cell line was derived from a transplantable colon carcinoma induced by dimethylhydrazine in the BD-1X rat strain. Transmission electron microscopy of K12/TR cells demonstrated junctional complexes, desmosomes and surface microvilli characteristic of gastrointestinal epithelial cells. The epithelial cell origin of K12/TR was confirmed by demonstrating the presence of keratin, a marker of epithelial cells, but not vimentin, a constituent of mesenchymal cells. Secretion of CEA and Ca19-9 antigens by K12/TR cells in vitro was below the sensitivity of the assays (1 ng/ml and 6 U/ml respectively). K12/TR cells produced tumors following s.c. injection into syngeneic BD-1X rats, allogeneic RNU/rnuDF rats and xenogeneic CRL:nu/nuBR mice. Macroscopic lung metastases were observed in animals from all 3 groups. Distal lymph node metastases were more frequent in BD-1X rats than in nude rats or mice. The histological appearances of all tumors and metastases were similar, showing a moderate to poorly differentiated glandular carcinoma. Intrasplenic injections of K12/TR cells in nude mice resulted in liver colonization. Preferential growth of tumor cells at sites of trauma was also observed. The results show that the K12/TR system can be used as a model to study metastasis of colon carcinoma cells and may find utility in the testing of chemotherapeutic agents against metastatic lesions.

Many stimuli induce neutrophils to undergo an oxidative burst and generate toxic oxygen metabolites. The major products are O2- and H2O2, the latter being presumed to arise by spontaneous dismutation of the former. If H2O2 were indeed derived exclusively from released O2- according to the equation 2O2- + 2H+----H2O2 + O2, one would expect that relationship to be reflected in the ratio of the two metabolites detectable in the extracellular mileu of stimulated neutrophils. A second corollary is that H2O2 should not form when cytochrome c is present to scavenge O2- before it can dismutate. Although H2O2 cannot be measured directly in the presence of cytochrome c because it is consumed in reoxidizing reduced cytochrome c, its presence can be detected indirectly by the ability of catalase to improve the apparent yield of reduced cytochrome c. We found that the relative amounts of extracellular H2O2 and O2- that could be measured in the environment of stimulated neutrophils varied with the stimulus and that catalase protected reduced cytochrome c from H2O2 oxidation when some stimuli were used but not with others. For example, the ratio of O2- to H2O2 produced by neutrophils exposed to PMA was about 2:1, the expected result if H2O2 were derived from O2-. However when cytochalasin B was added to the cells before the stimulus, the yield of H2O2 was reduced but not the yield of O2-. When cells were allowed to settle and spread on tissue culture plastic they produced equimolar amounts of O2- and H2O2. Coating the plastic with IgG doubled cytochrome c reduction without effecting H2O2. In contrast, coating with albumin reduced H2O2 without effecting cytochrome c reduction. Soluble IgG aggregates induced production of mostly O2- whereas immune complexes resulted in release of both metabolites. FMLP and A23187 were similar to the soluble IgG aggregates in their effects and induced release of proportionately more O2- than H2O2. The addition of catalase to the cytochrome c solution improved the yield of reduced cytochrome c when PMA or IgG was used to stimulate the cells but not when FMLP was used. These and other data suggest that H2O2 release is not a linear function of the amount of O2- generated and that either a variable fraction of O2- spontaneously dismutates to H2O2 or the neutrophil NADPH oxidase, in a manner analogous to xanthine oxidase, is capable, under some circumstances, of producing H2O2 as well as O2-.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Receptor-ligand interaction in mononuclear phagocytes is intimately linked to alterations in membrane phospholipids and release of arachidonic acid (AA). In addition, synthesis of bioactive lipids from released AA can result in further modification of cell responses. Upon challenge with opsonized zymosan, [3H]-arachidonic acid ([3H]-AA)-labeled human monocytes released 25 +/- 2% of their incorporated radiolabel within 30 min. Pretreatment of the monocytes with 5 X 10(-4) M isobutylmethylxanthine (IBMX) or 1 X 10(-3) M dibutyryl cyclic AMP (d-cAMP) inhibited total [3H]-AA release in the presence of zymosan by 47% and 42%, respectively. Analysis of incorporated [3H]-AA in cellular phospholipid pools indicated that significant amounts of label were lost from both phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylinositol (PI) during zymosan stimulation. Treatment with d-cAMP substantially inhibited the loss of label from PC, but had no affect on PI. HPLC analysis of cell supernatants from zymosan-treated cells indicated that 5-HETE was the predominant metabolite generated from [3H]-AA, and its production was depressed during treatment with d-cAMP. Phospholipase activity in human monocyte homogenates was not effected by d-cAMP or IBMX at the highest concentrations used, whether these were added directly to the homogenate or by pretreatment of whole cells, demonstrating that inhibition required an intact cell. These results suggest that human monocytes exposed to opsonized zymosan release AA via two mechanisms and that modulation by cAMP is indirectly effecting a phospholipase directed towards PC.