SELECTIVE TOXICITY OF RHODAMINE-123 IN CARCINOMA-CELLS INVITRO

  • 1 January 1983
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 43  (2) , 716-720
Abstract
With continuous exposure, rhodamine 123 selectively kills carcinoma as compared to normal epithelial cells grown in vitro. At doses of rhodamine 123 which were toxic to carcinoma cells, the conversion of mitochondrial-specific to cytoplasmic-nonspecific localization of the drug was observed prior to cell death. At 10 .mu.g/ml, > 50% cell death occurred within 7 days in all 9 of the [mammalian] carcinoma cell types and lines of different origin studied: 6 of 6 normal [mammalian] epithelial cell types and lines remained unaffected. Cotreating carcinoma cells with 2-deoxyglucose and rhodamine 123 enhanced the inhibition of growth by rhodamine 123 alone in clonogenic survival assays. The observation of the selective toxicity of rhodamine 123 appears to be unique in view of the absence of selective toxicity reported in vitro for the various antitumor agents currently in clinical use. Preliminary results with rhodamine 123 in animal tumor systems indicate antitumor activity for carcinomas.