title: Cytotoxicity of anticancer aziridinyl-substituted benzoquinones in primary mice splenocytes.
abstract: The anticancer activity of aziridinyl-quinones is mainly attributed to their
  quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1)-catalyzed two-electron reduction into DNA-alkylating products. However, little is known about their cytotoxicity in primary cells, which may be important in understanding their side effects. We found that the cytotoxicity of aziridinyl-unsubstituted quinones (n = 12) in mice splenocytes with a low amount of NQO1, 4 nmol × mg(-1) × min(-1), was caused mainly by the oxidative stress. Aziridinyl-benzoquinones (n = 6) including a novel anticancer agent RH1 were more cytotoxic than aziridinyl-unsubstituted ones with the similar redox properties, and their cytotoxicity was not decreased by an inhibitor of NQO1, dicumarol. The possible reasons for their enhanced cytotoxicity are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biochemistry of Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Valė
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Miliukienė
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biochemistry of Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Henrikas
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nivinskas
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biochemistry of Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Narimantas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Čėnas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000737:chemistry*; D016227:Benzoquinones / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000737:chemistry*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D016227:Benzoquinones