Screening for cytotoxicity in neuroblastoma cells. II. Growth inhibition: cell death or impaired cell cycle progression?

Time-lapse films were made of neuroblastoma cells in chemically defined, serum-free medium in the presence of a variety of potentially toxic compounds. Using a simple method of analysis, based on the transition probability model and the increase in the number of cells per frame with time, growth inhibition in cell cultures could be specifically attributed to cell death or delayed progression through the cell cycle. For 4 of 8 compounds growth inhibition was the result of almost all cells showing an impaired rate of cell cycle progression while for 4 compounds there were equal or greater contributions from cell death and/or detachment.