Phenotypic modification of human glioma and non-small cell lung carcinoma by glucocorticoids and other agents.

Glucocorticoids are cytostatic for human glioma grown at a high cell density in cell culture. The effect is not cytotoxic, appears to involve a modification of the cell surface, and has been detected with methyl prednisolone, dexamethasone, and beta-methasone. Glucocorticoids were also found to reduce malignancy-associated properties (plasminogen activator and endothelial mitogenesis) and enhance differentiation (glutamyl synthetase activity and high affinity GABA uptake). Cytostasis was also seen at high cell densities in non-small cell lung carcinoma with a concomitant reduction in plasminogen activator activity and endothelial mitogenesis. Preliminary data on surfactant production in A549 cells suggests that the repression of malignancy-associated properties is accompanied by an increase in cell differentiation. Treatment of the WIL adenocarcinoma gown as a xenograft in nude mice caused total cessation of growth and massive central necrosis in the tumor.