Radioprotection of human endothelial cells with amifostine.
METHODS
We studied the effect of amifostine on radiation sensitivity of human endothelial cells and several tumor cell lines (HeLa, MIA PaCa-2 and BxPC-3). The cells were incubated in medium with a concentration of 1 microgram/microliter amifostine and after 1 hour irradiated with 10 or 20 Gy single dose. Proliferation index was measured by BrdU assay after another 8 and 24 hours.


RESULTS
The results show a higher proliferation rate of endothelial cells following radiation plus amifostine, compared with radiation alone. Amifostine induced an increase of proliferation in the control/non-irradiated human endothelial cells. After irradiation with 10 Gy single dose the proliferation of amifostine treated human endothelial cells was still higher. Amifostine exerts no apparent proliferative effect on the tumor cells.


CONCLUSIONS
The results presented indicate that amifostine acts as an activation of proliferation of the human endothelial cells in a simple in-vitro system and indicate that amifostine supplementation prior to radiation therapy might exert a radioprotective effect to healthy tissue without spurring tumor growth.
Andreopoulos
D
D
Clinic of Radiotherapy-Oncology, University Clinic of RWTH Aachen, Germany. dandreo@logos.cy.net
Schleicher
U M
UM
Cotarelo
C L
CL
Hand
S
S
Ammon
J
J
D004999:Amifostine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019610:Cytoprotection; D004727:Endothelium / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D006801:Humans; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011837:Radiation-Protective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000528:radiation effects*
D011837:Radiation-Protective Agents; D004999:Amifostine