M Higashigawa

Mie University, Tsu-shi, Mie-ken, Japan

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Publications (37)74.55 Total impact

  • Article: Plasma, intestine and tumor levels of 5-fluorouracil in mice bearing L1210 ascites tumor following oral administration of 5-fluorouracil, UFT (mixed compound of tegafur and uracil), carmofur and 5'-deoxy-5-fluorouridine.
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    ABSTRACT: Several 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) derivatives, 1-hexylcarbamoyl-5-fluorouracil (HCFU), 5'-deoxy-5-fluorouridine (5'-DFUR) and UFT (mixed compound of tegafur and uracil), have been developed and clinically widely used. However, comparative pharmacokinetic studies of the parent compound and other fluorinated drivatives have not been precisely reported. The dosage of the oral clinical use for human cancer of 5-FU, HCFU, 5'-DFUR and UFT as tegafur (FT) is 200-300mg/d, 600mg/d, 800-1,200mg/d and 300-600mg/d respectively. These amounts of the drugs are almost equimolar. Previously, we reported the effect of oral equimolar administration of each four drugs on thymidilate synthase activity, deoxyribonucleotide metabolism and cell cycle progression in L1210 ascites tumor. (1,2) In this study, we examined the antitumor effect and 5-FU concentration in the plasma, intestine and tumor after oral equimolar administrations of each drug using BDF1 mice bearing L1210 ascites tumor. In our study, UFT showed the best life prolongation among these four drugs. The intestine 5-FU level was highest by treatment with 5-FU during the initial 4 h. The plasma 5-FU level was highest by treatment with HCFU for 4 h. But the tumor 5-FU level was highest by treatment with UFT over the 24 h. In spite of the high plasma 5-FU concentration after the treatment with HCFU, the 5-FU concentration in the tumor was below the detectable level until 24 h. These findings suggested that the highest specific accumulation of 5-FU in tumor cells may explain the best therapeutic results of UFT.
    Biological & Pharmaceutical Bulletin 12/2001; 24(11):1329-31. · 1.66 Impact Factor
  • Article: Transient renal tubular acidosis in a neonate following transplacental acetazolamide.
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    ABSTRACT: Renal tubular acidosis (RTA) was observed in a preterm boy shortly after birth. His mother had glaucoma and had been treated during pregnancy with oral acetazolamide, a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor. When RTA developed, acetazolamide was detected in his serum demonstrating transplacental acetazolamide passage.
    European Journal of Pediatrics 06/2001; 160(5):321-2. · 1.88 Impact Factor
  • Article: Delayed cytotoxicity of 6-mercaptopurine is compatible with mitotic death caused by DNA damage due to incorporation of 6-thioguanine into DNA as 6-thioguanine nucleotide.
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    ABSTRACT: Many protocol studies have shown that low dose 6-mercaptopurine (6MP) in maintenance chemotherapy for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) can be utilized to cure the disease. Mitotic or reproductive cell death has been recognized after G2 arrest when cells are treated with antitumor agents. The precise mechanism of mode of action of 6MP still remains unclear. We found delayed cytotoxic effect of 6MP in P388 murine leukemic cells. Morphological study showed that 6MP induced delayed death was characterized by an enlargement of cell size and multinucleated nuclei. Agarose gel electrophoresis of fragmented DNA from cells treated with 6MP showed the typical ladder pattern. These findings were compatible with mitotic death. Our results make us hypothesize that the delayed cytotoxicity of 6MP is one of the drug induced mitotic deaths caused by DNA damage due to incorporation of 6-thioguanine (6TG) into DNA as thioguanine nucleotide (TGN). Mitotic death may be a mechanism for killing the cycling cells from residual leukemic cells in G0 or long G1 phases in the treatment of childhood ALL.
    Journal of experimental & clinical cancer research: CR 10/1999; 18(3):417-24. · 1.50 Impact Factor
  • Article: Enhanced cytotoxic interaction between 5-fluorouracil and 4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide against L1210 murine leukemic cells: applicability to ex vivo purging.
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    ABSTRACT: Eradication of contaminated tumor cells in bone marrow is a matter of utmost concern in the setting of autologous bone marrow transplantation. 4-Hydroperoxycyclophosphamide (4-HC) is often used for ex vivo chemical purging of contaminated tumor cells in bone marrow. The marrow from patients pretreated with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is enriched with multifactor-responsive high proliferative potential colony-forming cells. To develop an efficient ex vivo chemical purging system, we evaluated interaction between 4-HC and 5-FU. We investigated the antitumor effect of cyclophosphamide, a mother compound of 4-HC, and 5-FU against L1210 ascites tumor in B6D2F1 mice. The median lifespan of the mice treated with 4-HC or 5-FU alone was 8 and 12 days, respectively. The combination of both drugs significantly extended the median lifespan to 18.5 days. The median effect plot analysis indicated a synergistic cytotoxic interaction between 5-FU and 4-HC in 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl terazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Clonogenic assay also showed that combination of 4-HC and 5-FU significantly reduced L1210 leukemic colonies to 20% of untreated control. Bone marrow cells from the mice treated with 5-FU at 150 mg/kg body weight was resistant to 4-HC at concentrations as high as 0.2 microgram/ml, which was more than 70% inhibitory concentration for colony formation in L1210 leukemic cells. Findings suggest that sequential treatment with in vivo 5-FU followed by ex vivo 4-HC could selectively enhance antitumor effects of 4-HC in tumor cells remaining in bone marrow.
    Cancer Investigation 02/1999; 17(7):486-93. · 1.85 Impact Factor
  • Article: Aclarubicin inhibits etoposide induced apoptosis through inhibition of RNA synthesis in P388 murine leukemic cells.
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    ABSTRACT: It has been reported that aclarubicin inhibits etoposide (VP-16) induced cytotoxicity in human lung cancer cell lines (1, 2). However, it still remains unclear how aclarubicin (ACR) inhibits etoposide-induced cytotoxicity. We report here that the combination of ACR and VP-16 showed antagonistic cytotoxic effect in P388 murine leukemic cells. DNA unwinding assay showed that 1000 ng/ml ACR significantly reduced VP-16 induced early DNA double strand(ds) breaks compared to that of VP-16 alone at a concentration of 10 microM. However, ACR did not inhibit VP-16 induced early DNA double strand breaks at a concentration of 100 ng/ml, a clinically achievable concentration. Furthermore, DNA repair occurred within two hours after removing VP-16 even if ACR was co-cultured at concentrations of 100 and 1000 ng/ml. DNA agarose gel electrophoresis and detection of sub-G1 fraction by flowcytometer showed that 100 ng/ml of ACR inhibited VP-16 induced DNA ladder formation and formation of sub-G1 fraction. Radioactive precursor incorporation studies showed that VP-16 inhibited DNA synthesis rather than RNA synthesis. On the other hand, ACR selectively inhibited RNA synthesis at a concentration of 100 ng/ml. The VP-16 induced increment of [3H]-L-leucine uptake was canceled by addition of 100 ng/ml of ACR. These data suggest that ACR inhibited VP-16 induced apoptosis by the inhibition of RNA synthesis along with protein synthesis, but not early DNA double strand breaks and DNA repair at a concentration of 100 ng/ml in P388 murine leukemic cells.
    Journal of experimental & clinical cancer research: CR 01/1999; 17(4):435-42. · 1.50 Impact Factor
  • Article: Thrombopoietin level is inversely related to blast count, not platelet number, in Down syndrome neonates with transient myeloproliferative disorder.
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    ABSTRACT: Transient myeloproliferative disorder (TMD) in neonates with Down syndrome is characterized by increased megakaryoblastic cells in the peripheral blood. Despite their spontaneous regression in weeks, prognosis is not always favorable because of fatal hepatic fibrosis. In this study, blood thrombopoietin (TPO) levels were measured by ELISA in six TMD patients and the expression of c-Mpl, a ligand for TPO, was examined on the blast cells from four patients by flow cytometer. At the onset, TPO level was undetectable in one patient and significantly lower in five patients than six neonatal controls (mean 0.52 fmol/ml, range 0.30-0.93 vs. 3.70, 1.38-8.33, P < 0.001), although platelet counts were similar (mean 321 x 10(9)/l, range 42-1,040 vs. 253 x 10(9)/l, 124-381). Two patients died of hepatic failure. TPO levels were measured in five patients after regression of the blast cells. With regression of blast cells, TPO levels were remarkably increased in four survived patients. In one patient with hepatic failure, TPO level was poorly elevated and relatively lower compared to the others. TPO levels were inversely correlated with blast numbers (r = -0.85, P < 0.001), but not with platelet counts (r = 0.426). Blast cells from four patients were all positive for c-Mpl. Our findings suggest that megakaryocyte mass is a major regulator of TPO levels and hepatic failure may affect the TPO level because liver is a major source of TPO production.
    American Journal of Hematology 09/1998; 58(4):267-72. · 4.67 Impact Factor
  • Article: Acute myositis with transient decrease of albumin, immunoglobulin, and complement following rotavirus gastroenteritis.
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    ABSTRACT: A 2-year-old boy developed acute myositis associated with rotavirus gastroenteritis. He had remarkable swelling and subcutaneous edema, mostly in the legs, 4 days after the onset of gastroenteritis. Marked elevation of creatine kinase was observed while serum albumin, immunoglobulin, and complement were decreased.
    Acta paediatrica Japonica; Overseas edition 03/1998; 40(1):82-4.
  • Article: FK506 inhibits anti-IgM antibody-induced apoptosis and 17 kD endonuclease activity in the human B-cell line, MBC-1, established from Burkitt's lymphoma.
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    ABSTRACT: The endonuclease which causes antibody-induced apoptotic cell death in B cells is not completely understood. We previously established a B-cell line (MBC-1) from a patient with Burkitt's lymphoma at the leukaemic stage which demonstrated the typical morphology and internucleosomal DNA fragmentation of apoptotic cell death when treated with anti-IgM antibody. FK506, an immunosuppressive agent and calcineurin inhibitor, partially rescued the anti-IgM antibody-induced cell death in these MBC-1 cells. DNA SDS-PAGE nuclease activity assay demonstrated that a 17 kD protein exhibited endonuclease activity. Active gel assay showed nuclease activity in the cellular nuclear extract not treated with anti-IgM antibody. This nuclease activity was inhibited by FK506 at concentrations of 10-200 ng/ml in the active gel assay. These results raise the possibility that the 17 kD endonuclease is one of the nuclear members of the immunophilin family, which may function as an endogenous endonuclease in MBC-1 cells.
    British Journal of Haematology 01/1998; 99(4):908-13. · 4.94 Impact Factor
  • Article: Salvage therapy for relapsed or refractory childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia by alternative administration a lymphoid- and myeloid-directed chemotherapeutic regimen consisting of dual modulation of ara-C, hydroxyurea, and etoposide.
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    ABSTRACT: Risk-directed chemotherapeutic regimens in recent use have improved the prognosis of children with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). However, many patients relapse during or shortly after cessation of the initial continuation chemotherapy. Since achievement of a second complete remission (CR) is the initial step in successful retreatment effort, it is important to develop salvage protocols for children with relapsed or refractory ALL. In the present study, we developed a new salvage protocol (MLL-93) and applied the concept of dual chemical modulation of cytarabine, hydroxyurea, and etoposide with the alternative administration of high doses of myeloid- and lymphoid-directed agents. We also planned to perform allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) following a CR if patients had HLA-identical donor(s). The six patients treated with the MLL-93 protocol achieved a second CR. One patients in CR died of interstitial pneumonia after an unrelated allogeneic BMT. The other five patients have been in CR for 12-41 months. We suggest that the concepts of alternative administration of lymphoid- and myeloid-directed drugs and biochemical modulation are useful in the treatment of children with relapsed or refractory ALL.
    Leukemia Research 10/1997; 21(9):811-5. · 2.92 Impact Factor
  • Article: Increased deoxycytidine kinase activity by etoposide in L1210 murine leukemic cells.
    K Ooi, T Ohkubo, M Higashigawa, H Kawasaki, M Sakurai
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    ABSTRACT: Deoxycytidine kinase (dCK) is a rate-limiting enzyme for the activation of ara-C. It is responsible for the phosphorylation of ara-C which is widely used in the treatment of leukemia. We examined the effect of etoposide on dCK in L1210 cells and found that incubation with 10 microM etoposide for 1 h increased dCK activity to 170% of the control. This effect of etoposide on dCK activity was concentration-dependent up to at least 100 microM of the substance.
    Biological & Pharmaceutical Bulletin 11/1996; 19(10):1382-3. · 1.66 Impact Factor
  • Article: Deoxycytidine kinase mRNA levels in leukemia cells with competitive polymerase chain reaction assay.
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    ABSTRACT: Deoxycytidine kinase (dCyd kinase) is important for the phosphorylation of several different nucleoside antimetabolites. To understand the significance of dCyd kinase levels in chemotherapy, dCyd kinase mRNA levels were evaluated in several cells with a quantitative competitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. dCyd kinase catalytic activity and intracellular ara-CTP production were also compared with the levels of dCyd kinase mRNA. The assay was able to show: (i) that dCyd kinase catalytic activity and dCyd kinase mRNA levels were correlated in cells; (ii) that dCyd kinase mRNA levels were more sensitive in lower levels of 10 amol/micrograms of total RNA; and (iii) in cytosine arabinoside (ara-C)-resistant cells, both dCyd kinase mRNA levels and intracellular ara-CTP levels were lower compared with levels in sensitive cells. The PCR assay for dCyd kinase mRNA could be useful in the selection and monitoring of patients treated with nucleosides that are activated by this enzyme.
    Leukemia Research 09/1996; 20(8):677-82. · 2.92 Impact Factor
  • Article: A case of prolonged human parvovirus B19 DNA-emia associated with polyclonal B cell activation.
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    ABSTRACT: The current paper reports an 8 year old girl with arthralgia and polyclonal B cell activation induced by human parvovirus B19 infection (HPV B19). The infection was diagnosed by the presence of the virus genome in sera. The patient presented with transient arthritis in the wrist, ankle joint and neck and elevation of immunoglobulin IgM antibodies to HPV B19 and rubella, antibodies to Mycoplasma and antistreptolysin O but without the typical clinical features of erythema infectiosum. The polyclonal B cell activation was paralleled by the presence of the virus genome of HPV B19 in sera. In some children with arthralgia, it is important to examine the genomes of viruses that may cause arthritis as well as the antibody titers to the viruses.
    Acta paediatrica Japonica; Overseas edition 09/1996; 38(4):348-51.
  • Article: Heterogeneous effects of G-CSF and GM-CSF on cell growth and ara-C cytotoxicity in childhood leukemias which express myeloid markers.
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    ABSTRACT: It is uncertain if acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cells expressing myeloid makers can respond to granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). We investigated the effects of G-CSF (0.01 microgram/ml) and GM-CSF (0.01 microgram/ml) on [3H]thymidine (TdR) uptake, and the cytotoxicity of 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (ara-C) in leukemia cells from 17 pediatric patients. ALL cells without myeloid markers did not respond to G-CSF or GM-CSF. On the other hand, these cytokines enhanced the [3H]TdR uptake and cell growth, not only of AML cells but also of ALL cells expressing myeloid antigens. However, G-CSF and GM-CSF did not always enhance the growth inhibitory effect of the cell cycle specific drug ara-C when the cells were co-cultured with the drug. There was no relationship between cell growth and the amount of [3H]TdR incorporation or the intracellular ara-CTP level. These results indicate the heterogeneous effects of G-CSF and GM-CSF on cell growth and ara-C sensitivity in childhood leukemia cells.
    Leukemia and Lymphoma 08/1996; 22(3-4):279-85. · 2.58 Impact Factor
  • Article: Clinical features of measles in immunocompromised children.
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    ABSTRACT: Measles is often fatal for immunocompromised hosts. Protective immunity against measles has been studied but is still not completely understood. Recently, five cases of measles were encountered in immunocompromised children. Two of these were allogeneic bone marrow transplanted cases (one common variable immunodeficiency and one severe aplastic anemia) in remission, one Wilms' tumor case in remission, one hepatoblastoma case after cytotoxic therapy at disease onset and one exaggerating hemophagocytic syndrome case with suppressed natural killer cell activity. Clinical symptoms, laboratory findings and the immunologic backgrounds of these five patients were investigated. One of the patients, an 8 year old boy with hemophagocytic syndrome, died of giant cell pneumonia which was confirmed in the section of necropsy lung specimen. Two other patients who received allogeneic bone marrow transplants were not immune to measles, despite their own and their donors' immunizations. Their clinical symptoms were rather severe but both patients recovered and have remained seropositive for as long as 13 months. This fatality from measles is the first reported in a patient with hemophagocytic syndrome. Suppressed natural killer cell activity may be a poor prognostic factor. Also, secondary immunization failure for measles can occur in bone marrow transplanted patients with rather severe clinical symptoms.
    Acta paediatrica Japonica; Overseas edition 07/1996; 38(3):212-7.
  • Article: Successful bone marrow transplantation in a child with combined IgG subclass deficiency and neutropenia.
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    ABSTRACT: An 8-year-old boy with combined IgG1 deficiency and neutropenia underwent allogeneic BMT from his HLA-identical, MLC-negative sister, because immunoglobulin (Ig) infusions and prophylactic antibiotics failed to prevent life-threatening infections. Conditioning was with busulfan and cyclophosphamide, MTX and CYA were given for the prophylaxis of GVHD. For 16 months after BMT no serious infections have occurred and serum IgG1 levels have returned to the normal range without Ig replacement. BMT may be appropriate treatment for patients with IgG subclass deficiency who rarely respond to conservative therapy.
    Bone Marrow Transplantation 01/1996; 16(6):847-8. · 3.75 Impact Factor
  • Article: Successful treatment of an infant with veno-occlusive disease developed after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation by tissue plasminogen activator, heparin and prostaglandin E1.
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    ABSTRACT: A 15-month-old boy with severe aplastic anemia developed veno-occlusive disease (VOD) after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT), in which the preparative regimen included 50 mg/kg/day cyclophosphamide and anti-lymphocyte globulin for 4 consecutive days. The diagnosis was made based on clinical symptoms and data including, hepatomegaly, right upper quadrant abdominal pain, jaundice, ascites, coagulopathy and thrombocytopenia which was refractory to transfusions of platelet concentrate. We gave 2, 3, 5 and 5 mg/day/body of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) followed by heparin and prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) effectively and without significant side effect on days 9, 10, 13 and 14, respectively. Clinical and biochemical improvement was steady and dramatic. We suggest that tPA following continuous heparin and PGE1 infusion may be useful in the treatment of VOD even in infantile cases.
    Leukemia Research 08/1995; 19(7):477-80. · 2.92 Impact Factor
  • Article: Effects of UFT (mixed compound of tegafur and uracil) on cell kinetics and inhibition of thymidylate synthase in L1210 ascites tumor.
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    ABSTRACT: Previous work in our laboratory showed that UFT (mixed compound of tegafur and uracil, molar ratio 1:4, respectively) caused the prolonged reduction of dTTP in L1210 leukemia cells in comparison with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of UFT on cell cycle distribution and thymidylate synthase activity of a leukemia cell line as compared with 5-FU. UFT and 5-FU were orally given to BDF1 mice bearing L1210 ascites tumor on day 3 after the tumor inoculation. Cell cycle distribution patterns at 24 hr after the drug administration showed a higher percentage of S phase in tumor cells treated with UFT than in those treated with 5-FU. Until 6 hr after the oral administration of the drugs, UFT inhibited the incorporation of [3H] deoxyuridine into DNA more long than 5-FU did. These results indicated that UFT has longer and stronger inhibitory effects on DNA replication than 5-FU in vivo under the employed experimental conditions (i.e., low and single doses of these fluorinated pyrimidines).
    Cancer Investigation 02/1995; 13(5):470-4. · 1.85 Impact Factor
  • Article: Apoptotic cell death induced by anti-IgM antibody and phorbol esters is inhibited by interleukin-4 in human B lymphoma cell line MBC-1.
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    ABSTRACT: The development of B cell tolerance is believed to involve negative signaling to B cells derived from the binding of antigen to the B cell surface immunoglobulin. B cell lines that receive negative signals may provide useful models for studying the mechanisms of B cell tolerance. We have established a human B lymphoma cell line, MBC-1, positive for both surface IgM and IgD. The growth of MBC-1 cells is inhibited by anti-IgM antibody but not by anti-IgD antibody. The rapid time course of MBC-1 cell death, the morphologic feature of dying cells, and DNA fragmentation indicate that surface IgM cross-linking induces apoptotic cell death. Interestingly, interleukin-4 (IL-4) could rescue MBC-1 cells from this apoptotic signal. BCL-2 protein is neither expressed nor induced in MBC-1 cells. The treatment of MBC-1 cells with IL-4 does not interfere with mobilization of Ca2+ or induce any phenotypical change. In addition, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and phorbol 12, 13-dibutyrate also induced growth inhibition followed by apoptotic cell death in MBC-1 cells. IL-4 is able to protect MBC-1 cells from cell death, but not from growth inhibition induced by protein kinase C activators. The results collectively suggest that IL-4 could inhibit the transduction of apoptotic signal following the activation of protein kinase C in MBC-1 cells.
    Cellular Immunology 01/1995; 159(2):280-93. · 1.97 Impact Factor
  • Article: Combined oral administration of etoposide and arabinofuranosylcytosine-5'-stearylphosphate enhances the antitumor effect against P388 ascites tumors.
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    ABSTRACT: We investigated the antitumor effect of oral administration of etoposide and arabinofuranosylcytosine-5'-stearylphosphate (C18PCA) against P388 ascites tumors in B6D2F1 mice. Etoposide (25 mg/kg) and C18PCA (5 mg/kg) were given orally on days 1-5 after tumor inoculation. The median life span of the mice treated with etoposide or C18PCA alone was 19.5 and 18 days, respectively. The combination of both drugs significantly extended the median life span to 33 days. To clarify this enhancement of the increase in median life span, we examined intracellular deoxyribonucleoside triphosphate (dNTP) pools, cell-cycle distribution, DNA fragmentation, and the time course of the plasma drug concentration. Etoposide had no effect on intracellular dNTP pools in this experimental system, whereas treatment of cells with C18PCA or with the combination of both drugs resulted in a significant increase in dTTP pools to values ranging from 1.8- to 2.0-fold higher than the control levels. There was a significant increase in cells in the S + G2/M phase when cells had been treated with both etoposide and C18PCA. Agarose-gel electrophoresis of the extracted DNA revealed that C18PCA enhanced the fragmentation of DNA, with a length of about 180 bp being induced by etoposide. The plasma peak levels of etoposide (1000 nM) and ara-C (50 nM) were observed at 20 and 30 min after the simultaneous administration of both drugs, respectively. The plasma etoposide level gradually decreased to 10% of the peak level at 240 min after administration. On the other hand, the plasma concentration of ara-C was maintained at above 20 nM at 240 min. These observations suggest that C18PCA and etoposide act on P388 murine leukemic cells by accumulating cells in the S + G2/M phase. Even if the plasma concentration of ara-C is low, the repair of DNA damage by etoposide may be hindered in the presence of ara-C following an increase in DNA fragmentation.
    Cancer Chemotherapy and Pharmacology 02/1994; 33(4):281-5. · 2.83 Impact Factor
  • Article: Enhanced incorporation of 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine by pretreatment with etoposide.
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    ABSTRACT: We examined the effects of timing of administration of etoposide on cytosine arabinoside (ara-C) incorporation into DNA in L1210 ascites tumor. At 1 hr after injection of ara-C, 3-hr and 6-hr pretreatments with 15 mg/kg of etoposide increased ara-C incorporation to more than 200% as compared to that of ara-C given alone. Simultaneous administration of etoposide, however, decreased ara-C incorporation to 33% of that of ara-C alone. These results might explain the previously reported sequence dependency of the antitumor effect of etoposide and ara-C.
    Cancer Investigation 02/1993; 11(4):388-92. · 1.85 Impact Factor