The effect of sodium-2-mercaptoethane-sulphonate, N-acetylcysteine and cysteine on the uptake of cytosine arabinoside by normal and neoplastic thymus cells of mice
Jastrzebski, Z.; Danysz, A.; Czyzewska-Szafran, H.; Czarnomska, A.
Archivum Immunologiae et Therapiae Experimentalis 36(3): 335-343
1988
ISSN/ISBN: 0004-069X PMID: 3150654 Document Number: 313367
The effect of some sulfhydryl compounds on the uptake of cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C) by normal and neoplastically transformed mouse thymus cells was studied. Sodium 2-mercaptoethanesulphonate (Mesna) was found to greatly inhibit (in 80%) the uptake of Ara-C by normal cells. Two other SH-compounds (cysteine and N-acetyl-cysteine) displayed no such effect. None of the three compounds reduced the uptake of Ara-C by neoplastic thymus cells. The possible pharmacological implications of these findings are discussed.