The
in vitro effect of OK-432 (NSC-B116209), the lyophilized preparation of penicillin-treated cell suspension of a low virulent strain, Su, of
Streptococcus haemolyticus, on the metabolism of rat Yoshida sarcoma, ascites hepatoma AH-130, and mouse Ehrlich carcinoma cells was investigated.
It was confirmed that living cells of Su strain released RNA from the tumor cells by contact
in vitro, but OK-432 did not exert such an action at all. However, OK-432 was found to inhibit RNA synthesis and also DNA synthesis to a lesser extent in tumor cells
in vitro in proportion to the dose of OK-432 applied.
The effect of OK-432 on the RNA synthesis was compared using human malignant cells, HeLa, and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC-204) cells, and phytohemagglutinin-stimulated normal human lymphocytes in culture. Among them, nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells were the most susceptible to the inhibition by OK-432. Protein synthesis of the carcinoma cells was also found to be highly sensitive to OK-432.
These data seem to indicate that the extent of inhibition of RNA synthesis by OK-432 varies according to the cells tested and is roughly correlated to the susceptibility of tumor cells
in vivo.
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