Cytotoxicity of Anti-Cancer Drugs to Vascular Endothelial Cells and Inhibitory Effect of PGE1

In this study, the degree of in vitro cytotoxicity of anticancer drugs, including 5-fluorouracil, doxorubicin, cis-diamminedichloroplatinum, and mitomycin C, to vascular endothelial cells collected from the carotid artery of cows was evaluated by the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-3,5-Biphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay. The results indicated that the viability of vascular endothelial cells decreased with the addition of all of the above anti-cancer drugs, and a positive correlation was found between cytotoxicity and the drug concentration, as well as between cytotoxicity and the length of incubation with the anti-cancer drugs. The cytotoxicity of doxorubicin, cis-diamminedichloroplatinum, and mitomycin C became evident very rapidly and was stronger than that of 5-fluorouracil. The protective effect of prostaglandin E1 on the cytotoxicity caused by anti-cancer drugs was examined. The results also indicated that the addition of prostaglandin E1 inhibited the decrease in the viability of vascular endothelial cells which had been induced by 5-fluorouracil. These findings suggested that anti-cancer drugs cause endothelial cell injury and that prostaglandin E1 can protect this type of injury at least when induced by 5-fluorouracil.