title: In vitro antitumor activity of bropirimine against urinary bladder tumor cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Bropirimine is an orally-active immunostimulant that has an antitumor effect on superficial transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. The mechanism of its antitumor effect has not yet been clarified.
  
  
  METHODS
  The cytokine-mediated antiproliferative activity of bropirimine was tested against cultured KK-47 and 724 cells using a modified human clonogenic tumor assay. Perpheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) obtained from five healthy volunteers were co-cultured with bropirimine and the levels of various cytokines, including IFN-alpha, gamma, IL-1beta and TNF-alpha in the supernatants, were quantified.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Colony formation by both cell lines was directly inhibited by bropirimine in a dose-dependent manner. In co-cultures of bropirimine and PBMCs, the inhibition of colony formation by both cell lines was not enhanced compared with the effect of bropirimine alone. No significant elevation of cytokines was detected in the presence of PBMCs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results obtained suggest that bropirimine is like to have direct antitumor activity rather than a cytokine-mediated antitumor effect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Yahaguchi University School of Medicine, Ube, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuhide
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tei
authors.forename: Hideyasu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matsuyama
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wada
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kurisu
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tahara
authors.forename: Katsusuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Naito
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D003596:Cytosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D016207:Cytokines; D003596:Cytosine; C033560:bropirimine