EFFECTS OF ANTIOXIDANTS ON THE ANTIPROLIFERATION INDUCED BY PROTEIN-SYNTHESIS INHIBITORS IN HUMAN BRAIN-TUMOR CELLS

The effects of protein synthesis inhibitors (cycloheximide, anisomycin , puromycin and emetine) on the growth of human brain tumor cells were investigated using U-373 MG human astrocytoma and SK-N-MC human neuro blastoma cell lines. These agents inhibited the growth of the tumor ce lls in a dose-dependent manner. However, these agents did not affect c ell viability evaluated by the trypan blue exclusion method, indicatin g that growth inhibition was due to the inhibition of cell proliferati on rather than the induction of cytotoxicity. Anti-proliferation induc ed by these agents was significantly blocked by the treatments with ei ther free radical scavengers or antioxidants. These results suggest th at enhanced oxidative stress may be involved in the anti-proliferation induced by the protein synthesis inhibitors in human brain tumor cell s.