title: The antibiotic chloramphenicol may be an effective new agent for inhibiting the growth of multiple myeloma.
abstract: Chloramphenicol is an old antibiotic that also inhibits mammalian mitochondrial protein synthesis. Our studies demonstrated that chloramphenicol is highly cytotoxic to myeloma cells, acting in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Chloramphenicol sharply suppressed ATP levels in myeloma cells at concentrations ≥ 25 μg/mL. Colorimetric and clonogenic assays indicate that chloramphenicol inhibits growth of myeloma cell lines at concentrations ≥ 50 μg/mL, and inhibits primary myeloma cell growth at concentrations ≥ 25 μg/mL. Flow cytometry and Western blotting showed that chloramphenicol induces myeloma cell apoptosis at concentrations ≥ 50 μg/mL. Chloramphenicol increased levels of cytochrome c, cleaved caspase-9 and cleaved caspase-3, suggesting that myeloma cell apoptosis occurs through the mitochondria-mediated apoptosis pathway. It thus appears chloramphenicol is not only an old antibiotic, it is also a potential cytotoxic agent effective against myeloma cells. This suggests chloramphenicol may be an effective "new" drug for the treatment of myeloma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Longgang District People's Hospital of Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Faqing
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Gansu, China.
authors.forename: Chunyan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Longgang District People's Hospital of Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Meiqin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Longgang District People's Hospital of Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Juheng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Longgang District People's Hospital of Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Xiaohui
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Longgang District People's Hospital of Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Sihan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Longgang District People's Hospital of Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Delan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Longgang District People's Hospital of Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Yingcai
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Longgang District People's Hospital of Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Huiqing
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D002701:Chloramphenicol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000473:pathology*; D011500:Protein Synthesis Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D011500:Protein Synthesis Inhibitors; D002701:Chloramphenicol
keywords: adenosine triphosphate; apoptosis; chloramphenicol; multiple myeloma