Effect of induced acidosis on cytotoxicity of anticancer drugs.

The effect of adriamycin (ADR), vincristine (VCR), mitoxantrone (MTN) and cis-platin (PtCl) at acidic pH on the incorporation of 3H-thymidine (3H-TdR) was studied in vitro on P388 murine leukemia cells. The incorporation was inhibited at low pH by the four drugs used. In order to induce acidosis in tumor bearing mice, 6 g/kg glucose was administered intraperitoneally. The lowest pH that could be obtained was 6.8 two hours after glucose administration. The drugs ADR, VCR, MTN and PtCl administered to tumor-bearing mice 2 h following induction of acidosis resulted in significant increase in the life span of the tumor bearing mice.