title: Potentiation of cytotoxic effects of 5-fluorouracil by inosiplex on cancer cells.
abstract: The antitumor effect of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) was significantly enhanced by inosiplex which has been developed as a drug possessing antiviral activity. The enhancement of antitumor effect of 5-FU was demonstrated by experiments both in vitro and in vivo, viz. depression of the colony formation rate in cultures of HeLa cells (an established cell line of human cervical carcinoma), and prolongation of the survival of mice bearing transplanted Ehrlich ascites tumor of murine mammary carcinoma origin. The HeLa cell colony formation was synergistically decreased in the presence of 0.5-2.0 micrograms/ml of 5-FU combined with 100 micrograms/ml of inosiplex. Inosiplex did not cause any appreciable inhibition of cell growth at this concentration when added alone to the culture. The mean duration of survival of tumor-bearing mice was 18.2, 20.3, 31.9 and 47.1 days in the control group and groups receiving inosiplex, 5-FU, or a combination of 5-FU and inosiplex, respectively; hence significantly prolonged in the combined therapy regimen group as compared with the control and the 5-FU treated group (P less than 0.01).
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects*; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D004357:Drug Synergism; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D007288:Inosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D007542:Inosine Pranobex / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008325:Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy; D051379:Mice; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D007288:Inosine; D005472:Fluorouracil; D007542:Inosine Pranobex