Role of cellular density, in vitro, in anti-tumor activity of CFA-treated and immunized cells

Abstract
Incorporation of tritiated deoxythymidine (3HdT) into DNA was used to measure growth, in vitro, of P815 tumor cells admixed with spleen and peritoneal effector cells. At a high tumor cell density (1×105 cells per dish), using anti-theta and anti-macrophage sera, T-cells and macrophages from the peritoneum of immunized mice could be identified as cells possessing anti-tumor activity. A nonspecific inhibition by normal effector cells, which occurred at the high tumor cell density, did not occur at a lower tumor cell density (1×104 cells per dish). Therefore, the effects of immunization and Freund's adjuvant treatment on the anti-tumor activity of effector cells were determined more accurately when normal cells were no longer inhibitory. Thus, experimental variables dealing with cellular density (cells/mm2 of the culture vessel surface) and effector: tumor cell ratios play an important role in the anti-proliferative capacity of effector cells.