Sensitization to heat by amiloride analogues in Chinese hamster cells

Effects of five amiloride analogues on thermal cell killing were examined using Chinese hamster V-79 cells. When cells were exposed to 42 degrees C hyperthermia in the presence of 0.2 mM amiloride or its analogue, cell survival decreased with increasing exposure time, as compared with that for exposure to 42 degrees C alone. The degree of the thermosensitizing effect varied among the test compounds, and three analogues were found to be more potent than amiloride. The results suggest that some of the amiloride analogues may be useful as hyperthermic sensitizers in the clinical treatment of cancer.