title: Paclitaxel is only a weak radiosensitizer of human cervical carcinoma cell lines.
abstract: Two human squamous cell cervical carcinoma cell lines, C-33A (HTB 31) and MS751 (HTB 34), were exposed to either paclitaxel alone or paclitaxel for 24 hr followed by graded doses of Cs-137 radiation. Each was then analyzed for both clonogenic survival and alterations to cell cycle progression. No radiosensitization or affect on the cell cycle was seen using 1 x 10(-9) M paclitaxel. Each line was equally sensitive to the drug with approximately 50% cell lethality seen after 1 x 10(-8) M of paclitaxel. This concentration of paclitaxel also produced substantial G2M arrest, seen immediately after drug exposure and lasting up to 2 days. Gamma radiation delivered during the time of G2M arrest showed only a small degree of radiosensitization by paclitaxel for the relatively radioresistant MS751 line at 4 Gy (SF4 = 16.0 +/- 3.2% --> 5.7 +/- 1.1%, P = 0.049) but no sensitization using radiation doses of conventional fraction size [sensitizer enhancement ratios 1.1 (0.80-1.40) and 1.3 (0.95-1.65) for the C-33A and MS751 cell lines, respectively]. It is concluded that paclitaxel produces only a modest radiosensitization effect, indicating that this compound will have limited benefit as a radiosensitizer for the treatment of cervical cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, Illinois 60153, USA.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Erlich
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: McCall
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Potkul
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Walter
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vaughan
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D005260:Female; D016195:G2 Phase / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011838:Radiation-Sensitizing Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*
chemical_list: D011838:Radiation-Sensitizing Agents; D017239:Paclitaxel