Inhibition of mouse bladder tumor proliferation by murine interferon-gamma and its synergism with interferon-beta.

We studied the effect of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and mouse L-cell interferon (IFN-beta) on the proliferation of a mouse bladder tumor, MBT-2. A liquid culture clonogenic assay was used, and a linear relationship was obtained between the number of cells plated and the number of colonies formed. When the cells were assayed in the presence of various doses of murine IFN-gamma or IFN-beta, colony formation was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner. Partially purified IFN-gamma was more effective than IFN-beta in inhibiting MBT-2 colony formation in that IFN-beta exhibited a 50% inhibition dose of approximately 1000 units/ml, while the 50% inhibition dose for the partially purified IFN-gamma was approximately 70 units/ml. The 50% inhibition dose for recombinant IFN-gamma was 700 units/ml, suggesting that multiple lymphokines were active in the partially purified preparation. Further studies with partially purified IFN-gamma showed that the inhibitory effect was time dependent with the maximal effect observed after 48 hr of exposure in a 5-day assay. Treatment of partially purified IFN-gamma for 24 hr at pH 2.0 resulted in the abrogation of the antiproliferative effect. Studies in which partially purified IFN-gamma preparations were treated with a monoclonal antibody against IFN-gamma also resulted in abrogation of antiproliferative activity, confirming the nature of the antiproliferative agent to be IFN-gamma. Further studies showed that murine recombinant IFN-gamma also inhibited MBT-2 proliferation in a dose-dependent manner, confirming that IFN-gamma alone mediates antiproliferative activity. Combinations of IFN-beta and recombinant IFN-gamma acted synergistically in the inhibition of MBT-2 proliferation.