BLADDER-CANCER RECURRENCE BY IMPLANTATION OF EXFOLIATED CELLS - IS GAMMA-LINOLENIC ACID AN EFFECTIVE TUMORICIDAL AGENT

Objective To compare the tumoricidal efficacy of meglumine gamma-linol enic acid (MeGLA), mitomycin C, epirubicin and water on two urothelial cell lines, and to establish the effect of serum protein levels deriv ed from bladder cancer resection craters on the action of these agents . Materials and methods The human urothelial cell lines MGHU-1 and RT1 12 and their drug-resistant variants were exposed to short pulses of a queous MeGLA, mitomycin. epirubicin and water. Both adherent and suspe nded cells were exposed to these agents. The MTT viable biomass assay and a clonogenic assay were used to establish tumoricidal efficacy. Th ese experiments were then repeated to assess the effect of added serum proteins on the test results. Estimates of protein in the waste irrig ation fluid from 10 patients undergoing transurethral resection of bla dder tumour (TURBT) were used to select the quantity of protein used i n the study, to establish the clinical relevance. Results MeGLA caused > 95% reduction in the residual viable biomass of adherent cells, com pared with < 50% reduction with ally ether agent, Both epirubicin and mitomycin were as effective as MeGLA in preventing colony formation fr om suspended drug-sensitive (parental) cells, However, using multidrug -resistant (MDR) cell lines, only MeGLA prevented any colony formation , although counts were greatly reduced by mitomycin and epirubicin. Wa ter was least effective as a tumoricidal agent on both adherent and su spended cells. On the latter, water was markedly inactivated by adding 5% serum, TURBT waste irrigation fluid was found frequently to contai n such quantities of serous fluid contamination, as shown by albumin e stimates in waste fluid from 10 consecutive patients undergoing this p rocedure, Conclusion MeGLA is an effective tumoricidal agent against b oth parental and MDR cell lines. Its efficacy is maintained in the pre sence of clinically relevant serum contamination.