Anticancer Res. 1996 Jan-Feb;16(1):499-503.
Potentiation of radiotherapy by nontoxic pretreatment with combined vitamins C and K3 in mice bearing solid transplantable tumor.
BACKGROUND: The effect of intraperitoneal and oral pretreatment with
combined vitamins C and K3 on the single dose radiotherapy of a transplantable
solid mouse tumor have been investigated.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Groups of mice bearing intramuscularly transplanted
liver tumors, were orally and parenterally pretreated with combined vitamins
C and K3 and locally irradiated with single doses of 20, 30, or 40 Gy of
X-rays. After this treatment tumor dimensions were measured twice weekly
and the approximate tumor volume in groups of pretreated vitamins and irradiated
mice was compared to the groups of mice only irradiated and to the absolute
control groups without any therapy.
RESULTS: This nontoxic pretreatment produced statistically significant
potentiation of radiotherapy induced by 20 to 40 Gy of X-rays doses in
groups of 11 to 20 mice. Combined vitamins C with K3 most probably constitute
a redox-cycling system producing hydrogen peroxide and other active oxygen
species to which cancer cells are selectively sensitive due to their frequent
deficiency in enzymatic defense system against free oxyradicals agression.
CONCLUSIONS: A possible introduction of such nontoxic and selective
potentiation procedure into classical protocols of human cancer therapy
appears to be generally accessible and without any additional risk for
patients.
AN: 96200756