Ovarian function following radiation and chemotherapy for cancer.

High-dose chemotherapy and radiotherapy have increased the long-term survival of young patients with cancer; nevertheless, the toxic effects on ovarian function causing amenorrhoea, premature menopause and infertility, are still severe.

Selective induction of apoptosis in multidrug resistant HL60R cells by the thiazolobenzoimidazole derivative 1-(2,6-difluorophenyl)-1H,3H-thiazolo [3,4-a] benzimidazole (TBZ).

We investigated the antitumour effects of 1-(2,6-difluorophenyl)-1H,3H-thiazolo [3,4-a]benzimidazole (TBZ) a new anti-HIV-1 agent, on human promyelocytic HL60 leukaemia, both a parental and a multidrug resistant form (HL60R). HL60R overexpresses P-glycoprotein and, like HL60, lacks p53 protein expression. HL60 and HL60R show similar levels of Bcl-2 protein. In contrast to the conventional chemotherapeutic agents daunorubicin, etoposide and mitoxantrone, TBZ caused equal or even greater cytotoxicity in HL60R than in HL60, and this result was associated with a more marked induction of apoptosis in the drug resistant cells. The antitumour activity of TBZ occurred in the range of concentrations higher than those required to exert antiviral activity. TBZ seems to act in the presence of P-glycoprotein and Bcl-2 and in the absence of p53 and is able to circumvent the mechanisms of drug resistance and anti-apoptosis present in HL60R cells.

Effects of highly purified anthraquinoid compounds from Aloe vera on sensitive and multidrug resistant leukemia cells.

Folk medicine has attributed antitumor properties to preparations from Aloe vera. We have studied the effects of five purified compounds from the plant on human K562 leukemia and on its multidrug resistant (MDR) variant, K562/R. The glycosides aloin A and B, aloesin and aloeresin were devoid of antitumor activity up to 200 mu M concentrations. Only the aglycone aloe emodin produced reproducible antitumor effects, which, interestingly, were more pronounced in the MDR, P-glycoprotein overexpressing, cell line. Its IC50 was in fact 29 mu M in K562 and 10.5 mu M in K562/R. Aloe emodine caused mainly cytostasis and accumulation of the cells in the S and G(2)-M phases of the cell cycle during the first 48 h of treatment. Thereafter, massive cell death ensued. Research on the antitumor activity of compounds extracted from Aloe vera probably deserves continuation.

Comparative activity of idarubicin and idarubicinol in combination with cyclosporin A in multidrug-resistant leukemia cells.

4-Demethoxydaunorubicin (idarubicin, IDA) is an anthracycline that has shown good cytotoxic activity in vitro against tumor cell lines displaying the multidrug-resistant (MDR) phenotype. IDA is converted in the liver into idarubicinol (2HIDA) and, in this form, seems to exert its antitumoral activity in vivo. Recent studies have shown that 2HIDA has tumoricidal activity similar to that of the parent drug when tested in vitro in sensitive neoplastic cells. In this work we compared in vitro the effects of IDA and 2HIDA used alone and in combination with 2 microM cyclosporin A (CyA) in the MDR leukemic cell lines FLCR and K562R and in their sensitive parent cell lines FLC and K562. IDA and 2HIDA showed the same cytotoxic activity in sensitive cells. After 1 h of exposure of cells to each anthracycline, we observed that the cellular uptake of IDA and 2HIDA was also similar. In resistant cells, 2HIDA was 3-4 times less active than IDA. We observed that the intracellular uptake of 2HIDA was lower than that of IDA, and this may be correlated with a greater ability of P-glycoprotein to expel 2HIDA as opposed to IDA. Indeed, when MDR cells were exposed to IDA and 2HIDA in combination with 2 microM CyA, the cytotoxic effect of these anthracyclines was the same, and it was similar to that observed in sensitive cells. These data confirm the utility of the combination of IDA and an MDR-reversing agent in hematological malignancies displaying the MDR phenotype.

Effects of R-enantiomer (GR66234A) and L-enantiomer (GR66235A) of telupidine, a new dihydropyridine derivative, on cell lines displaying the multidrug resistant phenotype.

BACKGROUND: Many dihydropyridine analogues with calcium channel blocker activity are able to reverse multidrug resistance (MDR). We studied the daunorubicin resistance reversing activity of the R enantiomer (GR66234A) and the L-enantiomer (GR66235 A) of teludipine, a new lipophilic calcium channel blocker synthesized by Glaxo. METHODS: The daunorubicin resistance reversing activity of the enantiomers of teludipine was evaluated in two MDR cell lines: ARNII, an erythroleukemia cell line which expresses p-glycoprotein, and MCF 7/R, a breast cancer cell line with p-glycoprotein and high levels of glutathione S transferase (GST) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH Px). RESULTS: GR66234A and GR66235A show the same activity in reversing daunorubicin resistance and are more effective than verapamil. The difference in activity between verapamil and the enantiomers of teludipine is greater in ARNII cells than in MCF 7/R cells. Nevertheless, there are no significative differences in cellular daunorubicin accumulation between ARNII and MCF 7/R following exposure to teludipine, nor are there differences in intracellular daunorubicin distribution in the presence of either MDR reversing agent. CONCLUSIONS: The low calcium channel antagonistic activity of GR66234A suggests that this compound may be useful in combination with chemotherapy in MDR malignancies.