Search

Autocrine growth mechanisms of leukemic blast progenitors in acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) were investigated. Colony formation of leukemic blast progenitors was observed in 14 of 14 patients tested when purified blast cell fraction depleted of both T cells and monocytes was plated in methylcellulose without any colony-stimulating factor (CSF). However, there existed a minimal cell density required to initiate blast progenitor growth with marked patient-to-patient variation. To clarify the role of cell density on the spontaneous growth of blast progenitors, we tested whether leukemic cells produced and secreted some stimulatory humoral factor(s). Production of colony- stimulating activity (CSA) by blast cells was observed in 17 of 18 patients tested. Following further depletion of monocytes, the CSA levels decreased markedly in 14 patients, indicating that blast cells with monocytoid differentiation were responsible for CSA production. We also confirmed granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and/or granulocyte macrophage-colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) production by leukemic blasts using specific immunologic assays. When leukemic cells were divided into nonadherent nonphagocytic cell fraction and adherent cell fraction, only nonadherent nonphagocytic cells showed clonogenecity and adherent blast cells lacked the colony-forming capacity. The results indicate that there are at least two blast cell subpopulations in AML: one is proliferating subpopulation with self- renewal capacity and the other is supporting subpopulation with functions such as CSF production. The quite intimate relationship between these two blast cell subpopulations in AML may play an important role on the growth of leukemic blast progenitors in vitro.

A minority of blast cells in acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) form colonies in culture in methylcellulose when stimulated by media conditioned by normal leukocytes in the presence of phytohemagglutinin (PHA-LCM). Blast colonies can be replated successfully, either as pooled cells or suspensions from single colonies. However, the plating efficiency declines with repeated passages, and more than four subcultures have not been achieved. In this study, blast populations were cultured in suspension, with fetal calf serum, alpha-minimal essential medium and PHA-LCM. In cells from 17 of 18 patients, exponential growth of clonogenic blast cells was maintained for six to seven days without reculturing. Colonies obtained from progenitors taken from liquid culture and replated in methylcellulose were replated to obtain the secondary plating efficiency (PE2). In 14 cases, this value was maintained or increased. In three instances, PE2 fell following culture in methylcellulose. When cells in suspension were recultured, exponential growth continued. In nine instances, exponential growth was maintained for from seven to 70 days. During this time, PE2 was maintained. Results from experiments using velocity sedimentation separation and analysis of single colonies were consistent with the view that the increase in clonogenic cells in suspension was a manifestation of their self-renewal capacity. The observations also support a model of blast progenitor growth that contains the postulate that these are capable not only of self-renewal but also of determination-like events leading to loss of proliferative capacity.

The effects of recombinant granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) were compared to those of media conditioned by the continuous bladder carcinoma line, HTB9 (HTB9-CM), using three criteria. First, both GM-CSF and HTB9-CM stimulated blast colony formation in methylcellulose cultures, patient-to-patient variations were seen in the dose-response curves, and GM-CSF was effective, but less so that HTB9-CM. Second, GM-CSF also enhanced growth of blast progenitors in suspension culture, indicating its capacity to support self-renewal. GM-CSF was as effective as HTB9-CM in the production of adherent cells during the growth of blast cells in suspension, a finding that is interpreted to mean that GM-CSF also supports postdeterministic events in blast differentiation. Finally, colonies growing in the presence of GM-CSF were not phenotypically different than those stimulated by HTB9-CM.

Two culture methods are available for the study of the blast cells of acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML). One is an assay for clonogenic precursors; it depends on their ability to form blast colonies in culture in the presence of methylcellulose and suitable growth factors. The other assesses the growth of blast cells in suspension culture, where growth is measured by increasing numbers of clonogenic cells. We have compared the two methods as assays for the cytotoxic effects of the chemotherapeutic drug cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C). Marked patient- to-patient variation was found using either method; however, the slopes of the dose-response curves were usually greater when cells were exposed to drug in suspension rather than in methylcellulose. Control experiments showed that the difference could not be explained by drug carry-over from the suspension cultures to the methylcellulose plates when clonogenic cells in the suspensions were assessed. Further, the survival curves for Adriamycin were very similar, regardless of which assay was used. No correlation was found between D10 Ara-C values measured in suspension or in methylcellulose. However, a significant association with outcome was found between D10 Ara-C in suspension and response to treatment with a regimen in which Ara-C was the only chemotherapeutic agent used. No such association was detected when the D10 values obtained with the clonogenic assay were compared with outcome for the same group of 15 patients. Finally, a feasibility experiment was performed in which blast cells were exposed to Ara-C repeatedly during exponential growth over 238 days. A dose-related inhibition of growth was observed; no evidence was seen of emerging drug-resistant cells. Nor did the morphology of the cells change as a result of drug exposure. We conclude that drug sensitivities of AML blast cells in culture are dependent on measurement methods, even when techniques affecting cell proliferation are compared. Measurements of drug sensitivity in culture may best be interpreted when the bases of the assay systems are understood.

Effects of aclacinomycin-A (ACM) on leukemic cells and normal hematopoietic stem cells were studied for the purpose of evaluating the usefulness of this agent as an antileukemic agent. ACM suppressed not only leukemic colony-forming unit (LCFU) in the radiation-induced murine erythroleukemia, but also normal hematopoietic stem cells (CFU- S, CFU-C) in mice. However, LCFU was the most sensitive to ACM. After the administration of ACM at a dose of 5 mg/kg. LCFU was suppressed to 0.02 of the control on day 3 and recovered within 5 days. Splenic CFU-S and CFU-C were suppressed to the nadirs on day 2 and day 1, respectively, and they recovered within 5 days. On the basis of the differences in the sensitivities to ACM and recovery patterns between LCFU and normal hematopoietic stem cells. ACM at a single dose of 5 mg/kg was administered every 3 days (total dose of 25 mg/kg) into leukemic mice, and the increase in mean lifespan obtained 113.9%. Effectiveness of ACM in the treatment of acute leukemia was discussed.

The blast cells of acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) may be considered as a renewal population, maintained by blast stem cells capable of both self-renewal and the generation of progeny with reduced or absent proliferative potential. Blast progenitor renewal is manifested in suspension culture by an exponential increase in clonogenic cells. This growth requires that two conditions be met: first, the cultures must contain growth factors in media conditioned either by phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated mononuclear leukocytes (PHA-LCM), or by cells of the continuous bladder carcinoma line HTB9 (HTB9-CM). Second, the cell density must be maintained at 10(6) blasts/ml; this may be achieved by adding irradiated cells to smaller numbers of intact blasts. We are concerned with the mechanism of the feeding function. We present evidence that (a) cell-cell contact is required. (b) Blasts are heterogeneous in respect to their capacity to support growth. (c) Fractions containing membranes from blast cells will substitute for intact cells in promoting the generation of new blast progenitors in culture. (d) This membrane function may be specific for AML blasts, since membranes from blasts of lymphoblastic leukemia or normal marrow cells were inactive.