Potentiation of the photocytotoxic effect of photofrin II: synergistic action of verapamil and lovastatin

Photofrin II (P2) is at the present time the most used drug in the photochemotherapy of tumors. As previous studies from our group have demonstrated that P2 is taken up by cells mainly via the low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor pathway, we tried to increase the amount of drug delivered to cells...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inBulletin de l'Académie nationale de médecine Vol. 178; no. 6; p. 1177
Main Authors Mazière, J C, Mora, L, Biade, S, Mazière, C, Santus, R
Format Journal Article
LanguageFrench
Published Netherlands 01.06.1994
Subjects
Colonic Neoplasms - therapy
Dihematoporphyrin Ether - pharmacology
Drug Synergism
Humans
Lovastatin - pharmacology
Photochemotherapy
Tumor Cells, Cultured
Verapamil - pharmacology
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Summary:Photofrin II (P2) is at the present time the most used drug in the photochemotherapy of tumors. As previous studies from our group have demonstrated that P2 is taken up by cells mainly via the low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor pathway, we tried to increase the amount of drug delivered to cells by enhancing the LDL receptor expression. For this purpose, we used hydroxy methyl glutaryl Coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors such as lovastatin. In the present work, we show that the calcium antagonist verapamil, which is currently used in human chemotherapy to overcome multidrug resistance, enhances in a synergistic manner the potentiating action of lovastatin on the photocytotoxic effect of P2.
ISSN:0001-4079