title: Antitumour effect of L-2,4 diaminobutyric acid on a hepatoma cell line.
abstract: Pharmacological treatment of malignant disease is often insufficient highlighting the need for more efficient treatment based on new principles. We have observed that the amino acid analogue diaminobutyric acid (DAB), accumulates in malignant cells apparently without saturation kinetics, leading to hyperosmosis and subsequently to cell lysis. In the first in vitro part of the present study hepatoma cells were incubated with DAB in miniwells in the presence or absence of physiological amino acids. In the in vivo part malignant cells were inoculated into rat liver after laparotomy. The tumour was treated by continuous infusion of DAB via a catheter, the tip of which was placed in the center of the tumour. DAB had a significant antitumour effect both in vitro and in vivo. The principle of action of DAB as an antitumour agent is unique and therefore would be the ideal partner to practically any other cytostatic drug for a combined treatment to achieve a synergistic effect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Blind
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Waldenström
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Berggren
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ronquist
mesh_terms: D000613:Aminobutyrates / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D015552:Injections, Intralesional / Q000379:methods; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000613:Aminobutyrates; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; C005959:2,4-diaminobutyric acid