Immunol Methods. 1993 Mar 15;160(1):81-8.
The use of ATP bioluminescence as a measure of cell proliferation and cytotoxicity

Crouch SP, Kozlowski R, Slater KJ, Fletcher J.
Medical Research Centre, City Hospital, Nottingham, UK.

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) bioluminescence was used to determine whether there was a linear relationship between cultured cell number and measured luminescence using the luciferin-luciferase reaction. In all the cells tested including peripheral blood mononuclear cells (MNC), MOLT-4, HL-60, TF-1, NFS-60 and L-929 cell lines there was a significant correlation as determined by Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (p > 0.00001). These observations were then used to determine whether ATP bioluminescence could be used as a suitable substitute for tritiated thymidine uptake as a measure of cell proliferation. The cell lines MOLT-4, HL-60, TF-1 and NFS-60 showed a strong correlation between thymidine uptake and ATP bioluminescence (p > 0.00001 for all cell types). Additionally the ATP method could detect the cytokine dependent proliferation on TF-1 and NFS-60 cells by granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) respectively. The tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF)-induced cytotoxic effect on L-929 cells could also be accurately detected using this method. It would therefore appear to be possible to use ATP bioluminescence in the detection of cytokine activity in a number of different bioassays.

PMID: 7680699

To contact Hygiena’s technical support team, please visit or technical support page for further options or email us at support@hygienausa.com.