COMPARATIVE STUDY OF ECHINOCHROME A, OXYGENATED CAROTENOIDS, GINSENOSIDE Rh2, LUTEOLIN DISULFATE AND METFORMIN AS A MEAN TO POTENTIATE ANTITUMOR EFFECT OF DOXORUBICIN

Abstract

This work concerned a comparative study of potentiating effects produced by some drugs of natural origin, as well as metformin, upon antitumor activity of doxorubicin. An increased therapeutic efficacy of doxorubicin used in combination with echinochrome A, oxycarotenoids, ginsenoside Rh2, and metformin was tested in the in vivo Ehrlich ascites carcinoma model. The negative effect of luteolin disulfate (10 mg/kg body weight) upon efficacy of antitumor therapy was revealed. When studying the effect of these substances on the level of intracellular ROS in primary cultures of murine spleen cells, using a selective fluorescent indicator (2’,7’-dichlorofluorescein-diacetate), we did not find a positive correlation between induction of excessive ROS synthesis and potentiation of doxorubicin action with the compounds studied. Some of the studied agents showed a positive correlation between interferon-inducing activity, as well as a negative correlation between increased IL-1 content, and higher antitumor effect of doxorubicin. The obtained results suggest expedience of further studies of antitumor effect potentiation using preparations of echinochrome, ginsenoside Rh2, a mixture of oxygenated carotenoids and metformin.

Keywords

• antitumor activity
• doxorubicin
• echinochrome a
• ginsenosides
• oxygenated carotenoids
• rh2
• luteolin disulfate
• metformin
• reactive oxygen species
• cytokines