Factors influencing the oxygen consumption and radiation response of cultured mammalian cells.

Abstract

There are published data (Gullino, 1975) that suggest that as a tumor increases in size, its QO2 decreases. Measurements on tumor homogenates in vitro and in vivo perfusion studies indicate large variations in oxidative capacity among various types of tumors (Gullino, 1975). However, we have found that human tumor cells in culture and other cultured mammalian cells have similar oxygen utilization rates (cf. Table I). The differences between tumor cell oxygen utilization in vivo and oxygen uptake for log phase cultures (Table I) suggests that metabolic controls or cellular adaptations are operative in vivo. Similar controls may or may not operate or exist in vitro. Therefore we have investigated a number of factors that might influence cellular oxygen consumption in vitro and of the role that altered oxygen consumption plays in the response of cells to radiation in vitro.