Effects of cisplatin on cell cycle kinetics, morphological change, and cleavage pattern of DNA in two human ovarian carcinoma cell lines.

We evaluated the effects of cisplatin on the cell kinetics, cytomorphological changes, and cleavage patterns of DNA in two lines of human ovarian carcinoma cells. KF-1 cells displayed a cell cycle arrest in the G2M phase, while HMG cells displayed a transient cell accumulation in the S phase, without obvious G2M arrest. Morphological changes characterized by condensation and fragmentation of chromatin, and DNA cleavage by oligonucleosome-sized DNA fragments were observed in the HMG cells but not in the KF-1 cells. The pattern of cell death in HMG cells was considered to be apoptosis, but that of KF-1 cells necrosis. These findings showed the different mechanisms of anti-tumor effect of cisplatin on human ovarian carcinoma cell lines, including cell kinetics and pattern of cell death.