Does interferon-alpha enhance the effect of tamoxifen-medroxyprogesterone acetate and hydroxyflutamide on in vitro tumor cells?
Werner, A.; Aichberger, A.; Krebs, D.
Zentralblatt für Gynakologie 118(11): 616-621
1996
ISSN/ISBN: 0044-4197 PMID: 9082695 Document Number: 462935
In our laboratory the influence of tamoxifen, medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) and hydroxyflutamid with and without interferon alpha (IFN) was tested on the proliferative capacity of two breast and one ovarian cancer cell line and three ovarian cancer tissues in the colony assay described by Hamburger and Salmon. The following results were seen: 1. Testing the four drugs alone in 6 different cell cultures, in vitro growth inhibition of more than 30% was seen 3 respectively 4 times. Growth inhibition of more than 50% could be shown only in particular cases. The higher dose of an active substance led up to three times more in comparison to the set growth restraint than the smaller dose. A reaction depending on the concentration was seen. 2. The combination of IFN and tamoxifen could not really increase the antiproliferative capacity of each substance alone. Nevertheless we were able to show a significant augmentation of the cell-growth inhibiting effect of MPA or hydroxyflutamid when it was given together with IFN: the increased antitumor activity was evident if cells were tested which showed progesterone-(PR) or androgenereceptors (AR). The results indicate that positive interactions of IFN and MPA or IFN and hydroxyflutamid are possible. Although an augmentation of the activity of tamoxyfen by IFN was not found it should be stressed that the schedule of treatment seems to be clearly critical.