tiazofurin and Carcinoma

Tiazofurin, an oncolytic drug, reduces PI kinase activity and arrests chiefly in S phase. Genistein, an inhibitor of PIP kinase, tyrosine kinase, and topoisomerase-II, induces arrest in G2 and/or early M phase in most carcinoma cells. Both tiazofurin and genistein reduce second messenger IP3 concentration in ovarian carcinoma cells. Because genistein and tiazofurin attack different enzymic targets and arrest the cell cycle at different phases, we tested the hypothesis that tiazofurin might be synergistic with genistein. Human ovarian carcinoma OVCAR-5 cells were grown in flasks in monolayers. In growth inhibition assay for tiazofurin and genistein the IC50s were 26 and 18 microM, respectively, and in clonogenic assays the LC50s were 17 and 4 microM, respectively. Various combinations of the two drugs were tested. The best protocol took into consideration that tiazofurin decreased GTP concentration in cells by 50% at 12 h after administration. Tiazofurin (20 microM) and genistein (20 microM) as single agents reduced cell counts to 60% and 50%, respectively. The predicted value, as a sum of the effect of two drugs, would have been 30% of controls. However, genistein added 12 h after tiazofurin decreased cell counts to 8%, showing synergistic action of the two drugs for growth inhibition. Similar results were observed in the clonogenic assays, which also revealed synergistic cytotoxicity. The protocol yielding synergism might be of value in the clinical treatment of human ovarian carcinoma.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Carcinoma; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; Drug Synergism; Female; Genistein; Growth Inhibitors; Humans; Ovarian Neoplasms; Ribavirin; Tumor Cells, Cultured

Since taxol (NSC 125975) and tiazofurin (NSC 286193) attack at two different sites in microtubular synthetic processes, we tested the rationale that the two drugs might be synergistic in human ovarian (OVCAR-5), pancreatic (PANC-1) and lung carcinoma (H-125) cells and in rat hepatoma 3924A cells. In human OVCAR-5, PANC-1, H-125 and rat 3924A cells, for taxol the anti-proliferative IC50 was 0.05, 0.06, 0.03 and 0.04 microM, respectively; for tiazofurin IC50 = 8.3, 2.3, 1.8 and 6.9 microM. Thus, the concentrations for taxol required for IC50 for inhibiting cell proliferation were 166-, 38-, 60- and 173-fold lower than those for tiazofurin. Taxol and tiazofurin proved synergistic in all four cell lines tested. The synergism of taxol with tiazofurin should have implications in the clinical treatment of human solid tumors with particular relevance to ovarian, pancreatic, lung and hepatocellular carcinomas.

Topics: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; Carcinoma; Carcinoma, Adenosquamous; Cell Division; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; Drug Synergism; Female; Guanosine Diphosphate; Guanosine Triphosphate; Humans; Liver Neoplasms, Experimental; Lung Neoplasms; Ovarian Neoplasms; Paclitaxel; Pancreatic Neoplasms; Rats; Ribavirin; Spindle Apparatus; Tumor Cells, Cultured