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Use
of verapamil to enhance the antiproliferative activity of BCNU in human glioma
cells: an in vitro and in vivo study
Bowles
AP Jr, Pantazis CG, Wansley W
Department
of Surgery, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta
The
authors have evaluated the antiproliferative activity of verapamil, alone or in
combination with 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU) in brain-tumor
cells.
These effects were studied in vitro using four human glioma cell lines and in
vivo using glioblastoma multiforme cells transplanted to athymic nude mice.
The results showed that verapamil when used alone produced inhibition of tumor
growth; however, when verapamil was used in combination with BCNU (in vitro),
significant dose-dependent suppression of proliferation occurred in all four
cell lines.
The in vivo results were far more dramatic.
Mice treated with BCNU (25 mg/kg) plus verapamil (50 mg/kg) achieved a 200-fold
decrease in tumor growth with a greater than 80% regression in tumor size.
Complete cures were achieved in 80% of the mice observed for at least 50 days
following the completion of therapy.
These findings support the use of verapamil in overcoming drug resistance in
malignant brain tumors.
PMID:
2366081 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Source:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=2366081&dopt=Abstract |
