Acta Med. 2008, 51: 113-119
Evaluation of the Antineoplastic Activity of L-rhamnose in vitro. A Comparison with 2-deoxyglucose
The effect of unsubstituted deoxyhexoses, 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) and L-fucose, on tumor cells has been reported in several papers throughout the last decades. That of a similar deoxysugar, L-rhamnose, which is synthesized in bacteria and plants but not in animal cells, has until today not been explored. In the present study, we examined the effect of L-rhamnose on DNA and protein synthesis, growth and the potential induction of apoptosis of tumor cells in vitro. Using 2-DG for comparison, we studied the effect of L-rhamnose in concentrations up to 20 (32 resp.) mmol/l on the initial velocity of the incorporation of labeled precursors of DNA and proteins in short term cultures of both mouse Ehrlich ascites tumor (EAT) and human HL-60 cells in vitro, and further, on cell proliferation and apoptosis induction in HL-60 cells. Neither cytotoxic nor cytostatic effects of L-rhamnose were observed with the exception of slightly pronounced inhibition of DNA synthesis in EAT cells. From the lacking inhibition of the protein synthesis it can be considered that L-rhamnose does not interfere with energy metabolism, at least not in a similar manner as 2-DG.
Keywords
L-rhamnose, 2-deoxyglucose, DNA synthesis, Protein synthesis, Apoptosis, Tumor.
Funding
This study was supported by project grant No. MSM 0021620820, Ministry of Education, Czech Republic.
References
Copyright
Published by the Karolinum Press. For permission to use please write to actamedica@lfhk.cuni.cz.
