Sensitivity of leukaemic lymphocytes to microtubular reagents.

Tests were make in this and in previous studies on the cytocidal action of cold (27 degrees), heat (43-50 degrees) anoxia, EDTA, colchicine and vincristine on non-dividing lymphocytes from normal individuals and from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. The reagents were selected for this work because they have been reported to have an effect on microtubules of various types of cells. All of the reagents were found to be more toxic to leukaemic than to normal lymphocytes. These findings are in accord with the hypothesis that vincristine produces a cytocidal effect by its action on the microtubules of leukaemic lymphocytes in interphase, that microtublues of leukaemic lymphocytes are more sensitive to reagents than those of normal lymphocytes, and that microtubules of leukaemic lymphocytes have abnormal cytopharmacological reactions.