title: Effects of heavy water (D2O) on human pancreatic tumor cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pancreatic cancer constitutes an entity which is difficult to treat and, therefore, mostly fatal. Since heavy water (deuterium oxide, D2O) was shown to be active in various cancer cell lines in vitro and in vivo, we now investigated its effects in human pancreatic tumor cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  The cytotoxic effects of D2O were examined in three pancreatic cancer cell lines (AsPC-1, BxPC-3 and PANC-1). Induction of apoptosis was determined by Hoechst/propidium iodide double staining and cell cycle distribution was investigated by FACS analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Employing a clonogenic assay, D2O yielded IC50 values of 15%, 18% and 27% in AsPC-1, PANC-1 and BxPC-3 cells, respectively, and led to the induction of apoptosis when compared to untreated controls. Moreover, D2O caused a cell cycle arrest in the G2-M-phase (BxPC-3, PANC-1) or in the S-phase (AsPC-1).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is hoped that D2O might offer an additional option for the treatment of pancreatic carcinomas.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Institute of Medical and Chemical Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical University of Vienna, General Hospital of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hartmann
authors.forename: Yvonne
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bader
authors.forename: Zsuzsanna
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Horvath
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Saiko
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grusch
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Illmer
authors.forename: Sibylle
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Madlener
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fritzer-Szekeres
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Heller
authors.forename: Rudolf-Giesbert
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Alken
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Szekeres
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D048708:Cell Growth Processes / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D017666:Deuterium Oxide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D017666:Deuterium Oxide