White light augments chemotherapeutic potential of cyclophosphamide: an in vitro study

• DOI: 10.1007/s10534-012-9591-1
• Publication Date: 2012-10-25T18:49:14Z
• Authors: Sandesh Chibber; Iftekhar Hassan; Mohd Farhan; Maria Salman; Imrana Naseem
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; Photosensitizing Agents; Light; Cell Survival; Superoxide Dismutase; DNA; Free Radical Scavengers; Catalase; 3. Good health; Solutions; Oxidative Stress; 03 medical and health sciences; Photochemotherapy; Superoxides; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; Humans; Comet Assay; Lymphocytes; DNA Cleavage; Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; Cyclophosphamide; Copper; Plasmids

Cyclophosphamide (CYC) is a known chemotherapeutic drug used widely for the treatment of leukemias, lymphomas and some solid tumors. Copper is an essential constituent of chromatin and its level is usually elevated in various malignancies. Combined modality chemotherapy involves the use of drug with other components for cancer treatment, such as radiation therapy or surgery. Photosensitizer anticancer drugs can be used in combination with light and may have synergistic effect on cancer. The present study is an attempt to show that CYC acts as prooxidant when used in combination with Cu(II) and white light. We hypothesize that CYC when given as a chemotherapeutic agent possibly interact with endogenous copper associated with chromatin of the cancer cells and generate ROS besides acting as DNA alkylating agent. Thus, during chemotherapy the oxidative stress is possibly generated by the drug through mobilizing endogenous Cu(II) which may attribute to the cytotoxic death of cancer cell.