[Synergism and attenuation effects of taurine on cyclophosphamide]

Cyclophosphamide (CTX) is a commonly used clinical antitumor drug with severe side effects. Therefore, it is important to find ancillary drugs which have synergism and attenuation effects on CTX. This study was to investigate the synergism and attenuation effects of taurine (Tau) on CTX via different administration methods.

S180-bearing mice were given Tau combined with CTX via either intravenous injection or intragastric administration. The tumor inhibition rate, the count of bone marrow nucleate cells and white blood cells, the spleen index, the thymus index, lymphocyte proliferation and the phagocytic activity of peritoneal macrophage were calculated.

The tumor inhibition rates of intravenous administration of 40 mg * kg(-1), 80 mg * kg(-1),160 mg * kg(-1) Tau combined with CTX (20 mg * kg(-1)) were 66.4%, 74.5% and 84.6%, while those of intragastric administration of 160 mg * kg(-1), 320 mg * kg(-1), 640 mg * kg(-1) Tau with CTX (20 mg * kg(-1)) were 60.1%, 69.7% and 81.2%, all of which were higher than that of CTX administration (20 mg * kg(-1)) alone (55.8%). Compared to the CTX group, the count of bone marrow nucleate cells and the white blood cells, the spleen index, the thymus index, lymphocyte proliferation and the phagocytic activity of peritoneal macrophage were elevated in all Tau and CTX combination groups.

Tau has synergism and attenuation effects on CTX via both intravenous and intragastric administration.