Arginine 2-mercaptoethane sulfonate and sodium 2-mercaptoethane sulfonate: a comparative study of their effects upon tumour cells.

The action of arginine 2-mercaptoethane sulfonate in comparison with sodium 2-mercaptoethane sulfonate on cell growth and cell adhesion of a metastatic sub-line of murine melanoma (F10/B16) was investigated. The capability of the two compounds to interfere with the cytotoxicity of 4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide and of cis-dichlorodiammineplatinum(II) in F10 cells was studied. The in vivo studies included the determination of acute and sub-acute toxicity of the two salts on mice. Very low toxicity and no significant differences between the two compounds were detected.