Mitochondria as subcellular targets for clinically useful anthracyclines

Due to the widespread use of anthracyclines as antitumor agents, a large nu mber of investigations have been reported analyzing clinical and molecular aspects of these quinone antibiotics. While the high affinity of anthracycl ines towards chromosomal DNA has been held responsible for their antitumor activity, an increasing amount of data is being accumulated showing that th ese drugs also target mitochondria thus interfering with major mitochondria l functions. Since this toxicity of anthracyclines towards mitochondria is associated with side effects significantly Limiting their chemotherapeutic dose, the corresponding underlying mechanisms need to be understood. Bioene rgetic failure, enzyme inhibitions, lipid peroxidations, induction of membr ane disorders as well as the initiation of oxidative stress are being attri buted to the accumulation of anthracyclines at or inside mitochondria. In t his review the wide spectrum of possible mode of actions of these antibioti cs leading to mitochondrial dysfunctions will be presented and discussed. ( C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.