Anticancer effect of nitric oxide on human lymphoma cells

We examined cytocidal effects of nitric oxide (NO) on cultured lymphoma and myeloma cells isolated from three patients and one patient, respectively. In one case with lymphoma, sodium nitroprusside (SNP) dose-relatedly decrea sed viable cell number as anticancer drugs. After chemotherapy, SNP remaine d effective but anticancer drugs were ineffective. SNP had no effect on num ber of viable normal lymphocytes from lymphoma patients. SNP was effective but anticancer drugs were ineffective in one lymphoma case and only antican cer drugs were effective in one case. In myeloma patient, SNP had little ef fect. These results suggest that some lymphoma cells are sensitive to NO.