title: Assessing and counteracting the prooxidant effects of anticancer drugs.
abstract: The relationship between peroxide generation and respective cellular damage, triggering various biochemical consequences is first discussed. Then we review the prooxidant effects of various anticancer drugs including anthracyclines and bleomycin, platinum derivatives and the N- and S-mustards. We present and discuss some experimental results on peroxidase inhibition by drugs such as zinc salts, almitrine, deferoxamine, which had previously been tested as efficient in vivo treatment on chlormethine intoxication. In an overview we propose that not only ionizing radiations and anticancer drugs, but also promoters and initiators of cancer might all generate free radicals, in turn triggering oxidative processes generating endogenous peroxides, then probably amplifying the deleterious biological response. The possible limitations of drug therapies decreasing peroxide generation are presented.
mesh_terms: D000477:Alkylating Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000494:pharmacology; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use / Q000633:toxicity; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000494:pharmacology; D004249:DNA Damage; D005609:Free Radicals / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D016877:Oxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010544:Peroxidases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D010545:Peroxides / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000477:Alkylating Agents; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D005609:Free Radicals; D016877:Oxidants; D010545:Peroxides; D001761:Bleomycin; D010544:Peroxidases; D002945:Cisplatin