Growth curve and rate of oxygen consumption by human glioma cells in culture

Use of a perfusion technique for measurements of respiratory activity in cultured cells

A method for measuring respiratory activity in anchorage-dependent cultured cells has been developed. This method is based on a technique that permits the perfusion of standard plastic culture dishes with attached cells. Basal respiratory activities were studied in two continuous cell lines of neural origin, neuroblastoma C1300 clone 41A3 and glioma 138MG. As compared to traditional measurements on detached cells, a fourfold increase in value was obtained. Investigations on membrane permeability suggested that the observed difference could be attributed to alterations in cell membrane integrity. Pretreatment with dibutyryl cyclic AMP, known to induce a morphological and biochemical differentiation in C1300 and 138MG cells, caused in both cell lines an enhanced respiration.

[Oxygen consumption and aging in longterm cultures of lens epithelia]

By means of the described technique lens epithelia were cultured in 40 subcultures; at the same time, both the morphological aging processes and oxygen consumption of the cells, were observed using the Warburg respirometer. To date comparable studies are not available. Morphologically, cell enlargement took place in conjunction with signs of degeneration. Oxygen consumption of 2 microliter per hour per 10(5) cells +/- 0.8 remained at a constant level without any significant diurnal rhythm up to subculture 39 and then suddenly fell to about one-fourth of the initial value. As the cells died of an unknown cause, it was concluded that the aerobic metabolism of lens epithelia seemed to be linked to survival without being age related.