Murine macrophage cytotoxicity induced by mastocytoma cells, cell-free mastocytoma exudates, and extracts

Spontaneous tumor rejection is not always due to a complete cellular rejection

In this paper we have studied whether there is a correlation between efficacy of hosts to reject tumor cells spontaneously and the induction of cytotoxic macrophages in these recipients due to injection (immunization) with tumor cells. Results show that there is no cause-effect relationship between macrophage cytotoxicity and tumor rejection in vivo. This lack of cause-effect relationship is greatly influenced by differences in immunogenicity between the various tumor cell lines as well as by the release of tumor-factors by some of these tumors.

Extracellular cytolysis by activated macrophages: studies with macrophages on permeable membranes

Mouse peritoneal macrophages were allowed to adhere to discs cut from permeable membranes, then activated by incubation in lymphokine-rich supernates from ConA-stimulated spleen cells. Such filter-borne cultures of activated macrophages (AM) were cytotoxic for various target cells (Tc). The kinetics of the cytotoxic process could be monitored by removal of the filter-bound AM after increasing times of contact with Tc. Using 3 assay procedures to assess macrophage cytotoxicity, i.e. chromium-51 release, thymidine incorporation, and cloning inhibition, most of the damage to Tc was found to occur within 30 min to 2 h of interaction between the two cell types. The kinetics of the cytolytic effect were similar, whether Tc were in direct contact with AM or separated by the filter; thus cytotoxicity appeared to be mediated by a highly diffusible compound. Supernates of AM incubated with Tc for 1 to 4 h, but not of AM incubated alone, were toxic for Tc, suggesting that Tc provide a signal to AM, in the absence of which toxic intermediates fail to be released. Addition of catalase or peroxidase considerably reduced Tc destruction by AM, indicating that oxygen metabolites might play a role as mediators of AM cytotoxicity in the present experimental model.

The use of P815: a warning

It is generally known that many malignancies are accompanied by forms of impairment of the immune system of the host. Also P815 mastocytoma cells can exert suppressive effects on the immune response reaction in vivo and in vitro. However, we have found a product released by P815 cells, which is able to activate macrophages non-specifically; macrophages normally not cytotoxic against tumor cells become cytotoxic against various tumor cell lines upon incubation with the P815 product. Nevertheless the same product which induces macrophage activation in vitro, seems to cause enhancement of tumor growth in vivo. We feel, if the activity of a tumor product depends so strongly on the experimental conditions used, one should be very careful in interpreting the results of experiments in which P815 cells are used as target cells.

A small molecular weight peptide from P815 mastocytoma cells induces macrophage cytotoxicity

In a previous article we have shown the presence of a "factor" in the cell free exudates of intraperitoneally growing P815 mastocytoma cells as well as in cell-free tumor cell extracts. This "factor" is able to induce nonspecific macrophage cytotoxicity against tumor target cells. The "factor" was sensitive to heating at 100 degree C for 1 min, destroyed by pronase treatment, and dialyzable. On the other hand, the "factor" was not removed by centrifugation (25,000 x g), and was resistant to chloroform extraction, ultraviolet irradiation, heating at 56 degree C (for 20 min), or RNAase treatment. Sephadex gel fractionation of the mastocytoma exudate showed that the "factor" has an approximate molecular weight of 650-700 daltons. Normal peritoneal macrophages incubated with an extract of murine mast cells, purified histamine or serotonin did not show detectable cytotoxicity against tumor cells. The results of our experiments suggest that the effect of the P815 cell-free exudate and tumor cell extract is due to a dialyzable small molecular weight peptide.