Arzneimittelforschung 2001; 51(9): 748-757
DOI: 10.1055/s-0031-1300110
Antibiotics · Antiviral Drugs · Chemotherapeutics · Cytostatics
Editio Cantor Verlag Aulendorf (Germany)

Antiproliferative Activity of an Aqueous Mistletoe Extract in Human Tumor Cell Lines and Xenografts in vitro

Angelika M. Burger
a   Tumor Biology Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
,
Ulrich Mengs
b   Madaus AG, Cologne, Germany
,
Julia B. Schüler
a   Tumor Biology Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
,
Heinz-Herbert Fiebig
a   Tumor Biology Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
26 December 2011 (online)

SUMMARY

The in vitro antiproliferative activity of an aqueous mistletoe extract (AME) with a defined content of bioactive mistletoe lectin (ML) was tested in 25 human tumor cell lines, including 20 solid and 5 hematological malignancies and 47 human tumor xenografts. The antiproliferative activity of AME was compared to that of the standard cytotoxic agent doxorubicin (CAS 23214-92-8, adriamycin, ADR) using the sulforhodamin B, propidium iodide and soft agar colony forming assays, respectively. AME was highly cytotoxic in solid human tumors with mean IC70 values in the range of 0.17 – 1 ng ML/ml (2.8-17 pmol bioactive ML). On a molar basis, AME was 3 to 4 logs more potent than ADR and showed differential cytotoxicity towards tumors of the breast, small cell and non-small cell lung, prostate and renal cell cancers. AME was also highly active in hematological malignancies with steep dose response curves resulting in mean IC70 values of 0.12 ng ML/ml (2 pmol). The acute

Our data suggest that AME has in vitro antitumor profiles similar to those of classical anticancer agents. Clear dose-response relationships were found in all of the performed experiments and interesting differential cytotoxicity patterns were observed. Experiments with sensitive tumor types identified in these in vitro studies are currently ongoing in order to demonstrate the anticancer activity of AME in different animal tumor models

Zusammenfassung

Antiproliferative Wirkung eines Mistelextraktes auf menschliche TümorzellLinien und Xenografts invitro

Die antiproliferative Wirkung eines wäßrigen Mistelextraktes (AME) mit definiertem Mistellektin-Gehalt wurde an 25 lymphoblastic leukemia cell line HL-60 was the most sensitive, the histiocytic lymphoma cell line U937 the most resistant hematological malignancy. It is important to stress that AME did not induce a biologically relevant increase of cell proliferation in any of the tumor cell lines tested. verschiedenen humanen Tumorzell-Linien und 47 Xenografts im Vergleich zu Doxorubicin (CAS 23214-92-8, Adriamycin, ADR) in vitro geprüft. Dabei erwies sich AME als hoch zytotoxisch mit mittleren IC70-Werten im Bereich von 0.17-1 ng Mistellektin (ML)/ml (2,8 bis 17 pmol bezogen auf aktives ML). AME war auf molarer Basis um ca. 3 bis 4 Zehnerpotenzen aktiver als ADR. Verschiedene Tümorzell-Linien oder Xenografts wie Mamma-, Lungen-, Prostata und Nierenzellkarzinome waren gegen eine Behandlung mit AME besonders sensitive.

Vergleichbare Effekte zeigten sich für AME auch bei diversen hämatologischen Tumorzell-Linien mit mittleren IC70-Werten im Bereich von 0,12 ng ML/ml (2 pmol). Eine relevante Begünstigung des Tumorzellwachstums wurde in keinem Fall festgestellt. Die Bedeutung der hier geschilderten Zellkulturbefunde für die In vivo-Situation wird derzeit in entsprechenden Tiermodellen geprüft.