title: Chemosensitizing effect of vitamin C in combination with 5-fluorouracil in vitro.
abstract: The antiproliferative effect and apoptosis-inducing action of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in combination with vitamin C were tested in vitro against the chemosensitive mouse lymphoma, the chemoresistant HEp-2 and a human lung fibroblast cell line. Vitamin C itself had no antiproliferative effect on the fibroblasts, but increased the anticancer effect of 5-FU dose-dependently. In the case of the chemoresistant cell line, only a high concentration of vitamin C increased the cytotoxicity of 5-FU. A combination of 5-FU and vitamin C exerted a significantly enhanced apoptotic effect on the mouse lymphoma cell line, whereas for the HEp-2 cell line this effect was less marked and was achieved only at a high concentration of vitamin C. These findings suggest that the administration of a high dose of vitamin C in combination with 5-FU chemotherapy enhances the chemoresponsiveness of cancer cells and serves as a potential sensitizer, especially in chemo-resistant cell lines. One of the mechanisms by which vitamin C potentiates cytostatics could be apoptosis induction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncotherapy, University of Szeged, Koranyi Fasor 12, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary. nbeatrix@freemail.hu
authors.forename: Beatrix
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nagy
authors.forename: Ilona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mucsi
authors.forename: Jozsef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Molnar
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Varga
authors.forename: Laszlo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Thurzo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects*; D018432:Drug Resistance, Multiple / Q000187:drug effects; D004357:Drug Synergism; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000494:pharmacology; D007940:Leukemia L5178 / Q000473:pathology*; D051379:Mice
chemical_list: D001205:Ascorbic Acid; D005472:Fluorouracil