title: DCA increases the antitumor effects of capecitabine in a mouse B16 melanoma allograft and a human non-small cell lung cancer A549 xenograft.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Capecitabine is one of the few chemotherapy drugs with high oral availability. Recently, sodium dichloroacetate (DCA) has shown great potential as an anticancer agent. In the present study, we assessed the anticancer effect of DCA in combination with capecitabine for cancers that modestly expressed TP.
  
  
  METHODS
  A mouse B16 melanoma allograft and a human non-small cell lung cancer A549 xenograft were used to assess the effect of DCA and capecitabine combined treatment. Histology and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the apoptosis and proliferation of cancer cells. Real-time PCR and Western blot were carried out to detect the expression of TP and caspases, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For the first time, we report that DCA increased the antitumor effects of capecitabine in a mouse B16 allograft and a human A549 xenograft by promoting apoptosis of tumor cells. DCA has little effect on the expression of TP.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our finding suggests that DCA in combination with capecitabine might be potential as a new therapeutic regimen against some cancers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Science, Fudan University, Handan Road 220, Shanghai, 200433, China.
authors.forename: Mao-Fa
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Si-yu
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Wei-da
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000069287:Capecitabine; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003999:Dichloroacetic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004357:Drug Synergism; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008546:Melanoma, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D011355:Prodrugs / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D000081382:Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Acetyl-Transferring Kinase; D011897:Random Allocation; D013939:Thymidine Phosphorylase / Q000378:metabolism; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D011355:Prodrugs; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D000081382:Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Acetyl-Transferring Kinase; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D000069287:Capecitabine; D003999:Dichloroacetic Acid; D013939:Thymidine Phosphorylase; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D005472:Fluorouracil