[Effect of methotrexate (MTX) on neoplastic (HeLa line) and normal (lymphocyte) cells]

An equipment simulating the pharmacodynamics of anti-cancer drugs under time lapse microcinematography is described. It consists of an inverted microscope furnished with an incubating chamber, a motion-picture camera, an intervalometer, a gradient forming device and peristaltic pump. In this work, the equipment is used to study the effect of methotrexate (MTX) on cultures of HeLa cells and HeLa cell-sensitized lymphoblasts. MTX inhibits cell reproduction of both, HeLa cells and lymphoblasts, prolongs twice the generation time of the cancer cells, and produces a progressive cell degeneration. MTX produces also an early degeneration of lymphoblasts. All these data are studied by individual frame analysis of the films.