[Dose response curve of paclitaxel measured by histoculture drug response assay]

Dose response curves of paclitaxel were measured by histoculture drug response assay (HDRA) in 11 lung cancer patients. Inhibition rates of paclitaxel at several concentrations were measured and fitted to the sigmoid dose response curve, using non-linear least square analysis, with fitting equation y=A (1-1/(1+exp (b (x-log (ED50)). Parameters A, b, and ED50 were 88.3+/-6.0 (80.0-100.0) %, 9.57+/-4.32 (2.25-15.0), and 26.8+/-8.1 (15.0-41.0) microg/ml, respectively. The parameter b was lower in well-differentiated tumors compared with moderately and poorly-differentiated tumors. Dose response curves of paclitaxel could be measured by HDRA in lung cancer. This method provides us more information for drug sensitivity than the usual HDRA method. This may lead to the improved accuracy of HDRA.