Establishment of a human ovarian cancer cell line capable of forming ascites in nude mice and effects of tranexamic acid on cell proliferation and ascites formation.

The present study was designed to obtain an experimental tumor model as similar as possible to human ovarian cancer which often had a large amount of ascites and to assess the therapeutic value of tranexamic acid. Human tumor cell lines which form ascites in nude mice were established from ascites of patient with serous cystadenocarcinoma of the ovary. Two cloned cell lines designated HRA and HR-1 were obtained from the parent cell line designated HR. All of these cultured cell lines had about 2.5-3.5 times higher lactate dehydrogenase activities than the original tumor. The original tumor and the tumor grown in nude mice had all 5 bands of lactate dehydrogenase isoenzymes, while all cultured cell lines had only a marked lactate dehydrogenase-3 in addition to a faint lactate dehydrogenase-2. Modal chromosome numbers of HR cells ranged from 50-76, while that of HRA cells ranged widely from 40-140. The DNA histograms of HR and HRA cells were similar to each other, showing predominant G1 and S phases. Although these cell lines had ability to produce ascites in the nude mice when the cells were inoculated i.p., the HRA cell inoculation made ascites most rapidly and brought about the shortest median survival (39 days). The proliferations of all three cell lines were dose-dependently inhibited by tranexamic acid. However, the concentration of this drug required for 50% inhibition of the proliferation of HRA cells was about one-half of that of HR and HR-1 cells. In addition, i.p. injections of tranexamic acid to nude mice treated with cisplatin resulted in a significant inhibition of the ascites formation and prolongation of 50% survival.