EFFECT OF NITROUS-OXIDE ON HUMAN-BONE MARROW-CELLS AND ITS SYNERGISTIC EFFECT WITH METHIONINE AND METHOTREXATE ON FUNCTIONAL FOLATE-DEFICIENCY

  • 1 January 1981
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 41  (11) , 4698-4701
Abstract
5-Methyltetrahydrofolate homocysteine methyltransferase activity in human bone marrow cells obtained from patients undergoing surgical operation became low after .apprx. 4 h of nitrous oxide (N2O) anesthesia. The deoxyuridine suppression test performed on these bone marrow cells also became abnormal after 6 h of N2O anesthesia. The incorporation of [3H]thymidine into DNA in the bone marrow cells preincubated with methionine or methotrexate was much higher after N2O anesthesia than before anesthesia. Since N2O and methionine or methotrexate have a synergistic effect on depletion of functional folate, N2O alone or in combination with methionine or methotrexate might be of value for cancer treatment and deserve clinical trials.