Abstract
The cytocidal properties of metronidazole against hypoxic mammalian cells are described. This chemotherapeutic action has been shown to be dependent on drug concentration and duration of exposure. The x-ray TCD50 for a murine anaplastic carcinoma was reduced from 6081 rad to 4643 rad when animals were given metronidazole orally for 36 h before radiation treatment. The effect is attributed to the direct killing of hypoxic tumour cells by a mechanism analogous to that proposed for the action of the drug on anaerobic micro-organisms. It is concluded that further work with metronidazole as a cytotoxin specific for hypoxic cells is warranted, particularly in view of the reported lack of toxicity associated with the preliminary clinical use of the drug as a radiosensitizer in man.
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Foster, J., Conroy, P., Searle, A. et al. Metronidazole (Flagyl): characterization as a cytotoxic drug specific for hypoxic tumour cells. Br J Cancer 33, 485–490 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1038/bjc.1976.78
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/bjc.1976.78
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