Cultured human hepatoma cells (BEL-7404) for anticancer drugs screening

A quantitative method of tumor cell culture for evaluating anticancer agents in viro was established. Typical cell-growth curve was seen when human hepatoma( BEL-7404) 2.5*10(2)-2.5*10(4) cell/well were placed in plastic microtitre plates. The amount of radioactivity of [3H]leucine incorporated into cells was employed to assay the cell-growth rate. 10-Hydroxycamptothecin 1-100 microg/mL inhbited significantly the growth of BEL-7404. The incorporation of [3H]leucine into the protein of tumor cells was inhibited by 31-71%. Among 40 drugs tested,harringtonine, homoharringtonine, and nevadensin inhibited markedly the growth of BEL-7404 cells.