Tumor Necrosis Factor and Chemotherapeutic Agents: Potentiation of Cytotoxicity With Interferon Gamma

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Abstract
• This study examined combinations of the recombinant human cytokines, tumor necrosis factor α and interferon gamma, with doxorubicin and dactinomycin as well as other drugs on six squamous cell carcinoma cell lines of head and neck origin using the 3(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide proliferation assay. Interferon gamma significantly enhanced the cytotoxicity of tumor necrosis factor a with dactinomycin on all six cell lines investigated, while in four of six cell lines the cytotoxicity of tumor necrosis factor α with doxorubicin was significantly augmented by interferon gamma. Additional experiments showed no effect with either cytokine in combination with cisplatin, fluorouracil, methotrexate, or etoposide. These data demonstrate that human recombinant cytokines in concert with certain drugs improve in vitro cytotoxicity and may have a potential for improving in vivo therapy. (Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1992;118:1168-1171)