EFFECT OF MITOMYCIN-C, VERAPAMIL, AND HYPERTHERMIA ON HUMAN GASTRIC ADENOCARCINOMA

The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of verapamil (20 mu M) and hyperthermia (42 degrees C) as modifiers of mitomycin C (MMC ), used at different concentrations, in inhibiting the growth of human gastric adenocarcinoma (AGS) cells. Combined verapamil and hypertherm ia treatment resulted in a significant decrease in cell count by 72.2% as compared with the control value. Verapamil drastically enhanced th e growth-inhibitory activity of MMC at high concentration against AGS cells by 67.5% and had no effect at intermediate and low concentration s. Hyperthermia did not enhance the effect of MMC on AGS cells. The mo dalities analyzed in this study require further investigation and may have potential for in vivo studies on gastric cancer therapy in the ne ar future.