Combination adriamycin and suramin induces apoptosis in bcl-2 expressing prostate carcinoma cells.
Bcl-2 expression has been associated with progression of prostate cancer from androgen-dependence to androgen-independence and may contribute to the relative drug-resistant phenotype typically observed in androgen-independent prostate cancer. Dunning-G rat prostate cancer cells transfected with a bcl-2 expression vector demonstrated resistance to apoptosis induced by adriamycin and, to a lesser extent, suramin. Use of adriamycin and suramin in combination, however, circumvents this bcl-2 associated drug resistance. Our findings indicate that combination drug actions may induce apoptosis in resistant malignant cell types with defective apoptotic pathways.
Tu
S M
SM
Department of Medical Oncology, University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030, USA.
McConnell
K
K
Marin
M C
MC
Campbell
M L
ML
Fernandez
A
A
von Eschenbach
A C
AC
McDonnell
T J
TJ
D000818:Animals; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000494:pharmacology; D004351:Drug Resistance; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051381:Rats; D013498:Suramin / Q000494:pharmacology; D014162:Transfection; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D013498:Suramin; D004317:Doxorubicin