Effects of L-histidinol on the proliferation and anticancer drug susceptibility of cultured B16f10 melanoma cells.

L-Histidinol, a structural analogue of the essential amino acid L-histidine, is able to enhance the toxicity of a wide variety of anticancer drugs to tumor cells both in vitro and in vivo. In this study, the effects of L-histidinol on the viability, cell cycle traverse and anticancer drug susceptibility of B16f10 melanoma cells in culture have been examined. L-Histidinol inhibited the transit of B16f10 melanoma cells through the cell cycle in a dose-dependent manner. In spite of its capacity to slow cell cycle progression, L-histidinol nevertheless increased the capacity of several antineoplastic agents of varying modes of action to kill B16f10 melanoma cells.