title: Hypersensitivity of human testis-tumour cell lines to chemotherapeutic drugs.
abstract: Metastatic testis tumours, in contrast to most other types of cancer, can be cured by drugs. To investigate which classes of chemotherapeutic drug are differentially toxic to testis-tumour cells, we compared the in vitro dose-response curves of 5 human testis and 5 bladder-cancer cell lines to 12 compounds. The testis cells were hypersensitive to drugs that interact directly with DNA (m-amsa, bleomycin, cisplatin, doxorubicin, methylnitrosourea, mitozolomide, etoposide, mitomycin-C), but little or no difference between the 2 cell types was seen following exposure to drugs whose mechanisms of action do not involve direct interaction with DNA (methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil, colchicine, vinblastine). We conclude that testis tumour cells are either less tolerant of, or have a reduced capacity to repair, DNA damage.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Urology and Nephrology, University College London, UK.
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Masters
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Osborne
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: C N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Parris
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004396:Coloring Agents; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; D013844:Thiazoles; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004396:Coloring Agents; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; D013844:Thiazoles; C022616:thiazolyl blue