[Enhancement of the anticancer activity of cisplatin combined with caffeine and phenobarbital in vitro].
BACKGROUND
To investigate the enhancing effect of caffeine(CAF) on the anticancer activity of cisplatin on human lung cancer SPC-A-1 cells in vitro and study whether this enhancing effect of caffeine could be inhibited by phenobarbital(PBT).


METHODS
The enhancing effect of combination of caffeine and phenobarbital on the cytotoxicity of DDP on SPC-A-1 was detected by MTT assay.


RESULTS
No significant cytotoxicity was observed in SPC-A-1 cells treated with 120 μg/ml CAF alone, 10 μg/ml PBT alone or both of them. CAF with a concentration of 120 μg/ml showed significant enhancing effect on the cytotoxicity of DDP on SPC-A-1 (P<0.05), but PBT of 10 μg/ml did not (P>0.05). The combination with CAF of 120 μg/ml and PBT of 10 μg/ml could remarkably enhance the cytotoxicity of DDP too (P<0.01). The enhancing effect of CAF plus PBT on cytotoxicity of DDP was not significantly different from that of CAF (P>0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
CAF can enhance anticancer activity of DDP in SPC-A-1, which is not antagonized by PBT. The results suggest that as a composition to reduce the side effects of CAF in vitro, PBT may be used as an enhancing agent of chemotherapeutical drugs together with CAF in the treatment of lung cancer.
Cancer Center and Institute of Cancer Research, The First University Hospital, West China University of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R.China.
Y
Y
Wang
S
S
Yuan
X
X
Chen
Y
Y
Yang
Y
Y
Song