Relationship of biochemical drug effects to their antitumor activity--II. Diacridines and membrane-related reactions.
A method is presented that determines the degree of attachment of cancer cells to normal cells. This method may be useful in determining the extent to which treatment of normal cells (or of a tumor-bearing host) with a particular chemotherapeutic agent may affect the degree of attachment of cancer cells to the normal cells. The effects of several diacridines upon this process are described. In addition, we have determined the ability of individual diacridines to alter the permeability of P-388 cells; this effect has been related to their antitumor properties. In general, the most effective antitumor diacridines are those that cause minimal disruption of cell permeability. Conversely, diacridines that disrupt cell permeability tend to have poor antitumor properties. It is considered that the toxicity of these compounds may be a necessary consequence of the assays used for testing anticancer agents, and may not necessarily be related to their antitumor activity.
D000609:Aminoacridines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability / Q000187:drug effects; D006224:Cricetinae; D003412:Cricetulus; D007941:Leukemia P388 / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice
D000609:Aminoacridines; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents