N,N-dimethylformamide-induced alteration of cell culture characteristics and loss of tumorigenicity in cultured human colon carcinoma cells

Cancer Res. 1979 Mar;39(3):1020-5.

Abstract

Human colon carcinoma cell lines established in this laboratory were treated in vitro with N,N-dimethylformamide. This polar solvent caused morphological changes in the cells as well as alterations in their growth properties. Untreated cells had cloning efficiencies of up to 77% in soft agar; treatment with N,N-dimethylformamide resulted in a complete loss of clonogenicity in semisolid medium. Growth in the presence of the polar solvent also effected a marked reduction in the tumorigenicity of the cells. Ten of ten nude mice that received a s.c. inoculum of 1 X 10(6) untreated cells developed tumors histologically similar to colonic adenocarcinomas in 10 to 14 days, whereas nine of ten nude mice inoculated with 1 X 10(6) treated cells have shown no sign of tumor 3 to 6 months postinjection. Removal of the polar solvent from the culture medium was accompanied by the reappearance of tumorigenicity and the original cell culture characteristics. Therefore, it appears that N,N-dimethylformamide can reversibly effect the reversion of cultured human colon carcinoma cells to less malignant cell types.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Division / drug effects
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Clone Cells / drug effects
  • Colonic Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Colonic Neoplasms / pathology
  • Dimethylformamide / pharmacology*
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Mice, Nude
  • Neoplasm Transplantation
  • Neoplasms, Experimental / drug therapy
  • Transplantation, Heterologous

Substances

  • Dimethylformamide