Sensitivity of proliferating human breast epithelial cells to hypotonic treatment

An assay for colony-forming cells of breast epithelia derived from normal and malignant surgical specimens is described using an IMR 90 fibroblast feeder layer. Their radiosensitivity (DO: 120-172) is consistent with the proliferative origin of the colonies. Distilled water inhibits proliferation of a proportion of the colony-forming cells after a 1-minute exposure. Continued detection of colonies after 10 minutes of exposure indicates that it is an inefficient way of completely eradicating proliferating epithelial cells of normal and malignant origin.