Tumoricidal activity and cytokine secretion by tumor-infiltrating macrophages.

Murine macrophages from different anatomical sites were compared for their ability to become tumoricidal and to secrete interleukin-1 (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) following stimulation in vitro by several biological response modifiers (BRM). Peritoneal macrophages (PM), alveolar macrophages (AM), and tumor-infiltrating-macrophages (TIM), isolated from B16F10 melanoma colonies in the lung, were incubated overnight with BRM [recombinant murine interferon gamma (rMulFN-gamma), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), muramyl dipeptide (MDP)], either alone or in combination. PM exhibited an increased cytotoxic response following incubation with LPS or rMuIFN-gamma but not with MDP. Both AM and TIM were induced to become tumoricidal following incubation with rMuIFN-gamma plus LPS or rMuIFN-gamma plus MDP but not after stimulation with any BRM alone; the level of cytotoxicity obtained with TIM incubated with rMuIFN-gamma plus LPS was slightly lower than that observed with PM or AM, while with rMuIFN-gamma plus MDP both AM and TIM had lower cytotoxicity than PM. Secretion of IL-I and TNF was observed in PM stimulated with LPS or MDP but not with rMuIFN-gamma. Likewise, secretion of IL-I by AM or TIM was also induced with LPS, although less than that obtained with PM. AM stimulated with LPS secreted larger amounts of TNF than PM while TIM secreted very low amounts of TNF. However, this result may be a consequence of the enzymatic isolation procedure used to obtain TIM since TNF secretion was also impaired in LPS-stimulated normal lung macrophages isolated by a similar enzymatic procedure, or enzyme-treated PM. Our results suggest that TIM obtained from lung metastases share certain functional characteristics with normal AM and respond to BRM in like manner with respect to induction of tumoricidal activity and cytokine secretion.

Efficacy and toxicity elicited by recombinant interferons alpha and gamma when administered in combination to tumor-bearing mice.

Administration of rHuIFN-alpha A/D and rMuIFN-gamma as single agents to tumor-bearing mice resulted in a dose-related antitumor effect in each of the six models studied. When the IFNs were given in combination, the effects varied between the tumor systems. No increase in efficacy was seen in mice bearing B16-F10 melanoma or M5076 reticulum cell sarcoma while additive antitumor activity was shown in the KA31 fibrosarcoma and P388 leukemia systems. Mice inoculated with L1210 lymphoma or colon 38 carcinoma, however, revealed enhanced efficacy which was greater than additive. The data also reveal that combination of IFNs alpha and gamma administered to normal and tumor-bearing mice resulted in toxicity which was not predicted by the appropriate doses of the single agents. These studies suggest that combination of IFNs alpha and gamma may provide greater therapeutic utility than the single agents and underscore the need for additional, carefully designed preclinical and clinical efforts.

The anti-tumor effect of recombinant interferon alpha or gamma is influenced by tumor location.

The in vivo anti-tumor effects of a recombinant human hybrid interferon alpha, rHuIFN-alpha A/D, and recombinant murine interferon gamma (rMuIFN-gamma) were evaluated against experimental hepatic metastases and s.c. tumor growth of the murine reticulum cell sarcoma M5076. The 2 interferons were equally active in preventing experimental hepatic metastases. However, the interferons differed in their relative ability to influence the growth of the same tumor when treatment was initiated following injection of tumor cells. Greater efficacy was obtained in the treatment of metastatic foci in the liver with rHuIFN-alpha A/D, while rMuIFN-gamma was more active in the therapy of an s.c. growing M5076 tumor. These results demonstrate that the same tumor growing at different sites can have different relative sensitivities to IFN-alpha and IFN-gamma.

In vivo anti-tumor activity of combinations of interferon alpha and interleukin-2 in a murine model. Correlation of efficacy with the induction of cytotoxic cells resembling natural killer cells.

The in vivo anti-tumor activity of 2 recombinant cytokines, interleukin-2 (rIL-2) and human hybrid interferon alpha (rHuIFN-alpha A/D), were tested using the murine reticulum cell sarcoma M5076. Experimental hepatic metastases, following i.v. injection of tumor cells, and tumor growth and spontaneous metastases, following s.c. injection of tumor cells, were inhibited to a greater extent in mice treated with a combination of these cytokines than in animals treated with either one alone. When used in conjunction with surgical removal of the s.c. tumor, treatment of mice with both cytokines significantly prolonged survival of tumor-bearing animals. Injection of normal mice with a combination of cytokines, but not with either cytokine alone, resulted in a marked increase in cytotoxic activity of hepatic effector cells. The effector cells in these mice appeared to be NK cells since this enhanced cytotoxicity was markedly reduced in animals treated in vivo with anti-asialo GM1 or in NK-deficient beige mice. Furthermore, no in vivo efficacy was observed in M5076-bearing beige mice treated with these cytokines. Thus, injection of mice with rIL-2 and rHuIFN-alpha A/D results in the induction of an NK-cell-like population in the liver with enhanced cytotoxic activity that correlates with the observed anti-tumor activity in vivo in this murine model. These results suggest that combinations of cytokines, in particular IFN-alpha and IL-2, can be effectively used in combination for the treatment of tumors and/or metastases.