Selective induction of colon cancer cell apoptosis by 5-fluorouracil in humans.
To assess the mechanism of action of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) apoptosis (AI) and proliferation (PI) indices were determined histochemically in colon carcinoma and normal colon tissue of 7 patients treated preoperatively with 5-FU (300 mg/m2/day for 5 days) and 11 controls. 5-Fluorouracil induced apoptosis selectively in malignant colonocytes (AI in 5-FU-group: 0.126 +/- 0.016 [mean +/- SEM] vs. 0.065 +/- 0.012 in controls; P < 0.05), but not in normal colonocytes. 5-Fluorouracil had no effect on the PI of either normal or malignant colonocytes. 5-Fluorouracil-induced apoptosis did not correlate with clinical outcome at 24 months. We conclude that 5-FU: (a) induces apoptosis selectively in colon cancer cells, while it spares the normal colonic mucosa, and (b) has no effect on colonocyte proliferation under the conditions of our protocol. This effect of 5-FU may contribute to its chemotherapeutic activity in human colon cancer.
Department of Surgery, Aghia Olga Hospital, Athens, Greece. rigasb@aol.com
Athanasios
A
Rigas
Christos
C
Dervenis
Niki
N
Giannakou
Vassiliki
V
Kozoni
Steven J
SJ
Shiff
Basil
B
Rigas
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D005472:Fluorouracil