title: Potentiation of anticancer agents by amphotericin B.
abstract: Amphotericin B (AmB) has been shown to potentiate the cytotoxicity of several different anticancer agents in AKR mice. The extent of potentiation, as assessed quantitatively by a spleen colony assay, varied from a factor of approximately 3 for 1,3-bis(2-chlorethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU) to over 100 for a number of alkylating agents and to over 1,000 for 1-(2-chloroethyl)-3-cyclohexyl-1-nitrosourea. Most phase-specific agents showed little potentiation of cytotoxicity by AmB. A dose-response effect was noted with both BCNU and adriamycin, with increased potentiation being observed with increasing doses of the anticancer agents. The effect on increase in life-span was also studied and for most of the combinations it correlated with the potentiating effects disclosed by the spleen colony assay. Such a correlation was not found for AmB combined with either BCNU or vincristine.
mesh_terms: D000666:Amphotericin B / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002330:Carmustine / Q000494:pharmacology; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D003114:Colony-Forming Units Assay; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000494:pharmacology; D004357:Drug Synergism; D005260:Female; D007942:Leukemia, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality; D008466:Mechlorethamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D008806:Mice, Inbred AKR; D014750:Vincristine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D008466:Mechlorethamine; D014750:Vincristine; D000666:Amphotericin B; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D002330:Carmustine