Selective enhancement of the cytotoxicity of the bleomycin derivative, peplomycin, by local anesthetics alone and combined with hyperthermia.

The effect of local anesthetics alone and combined with hyperthermia on the cytotoxic effect of the bleomycin derivative, peplomycin, was studied in FM3A and HeLa cells. Noncytotoxic doses of the local anesthetics procaine, lidocaine, butacaine, tetracaine, and dibucaine enhanced peplomycin cytotoxicity. This enhancement correlated with the reported anesthetic potency of these agents. Combination of lidocaine (3 to 6 mM) and moderate hyperthermia (40 and 41 degrees) greatly enhanced peplomycin cytotoxicity, although these doses of lidocaine alone were ineffective at 37 degrees, and the temperatures alone enhanced the cytotoxicity only slightly. Cell sensitization to peplomycin cytotoxicity induced by lidocaine combined with 41 degrees hyperthermia produced a decrease in cell survival that depended on the dose of lidocaine and the dose and duration of peplomycin treatment. Lidocaine at 37 or 41 degrees did not enhance the cytotoxicity of Adriamycin, mitomycin C, and cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II), suggesting a unique interaction with peplomycin. The enhancing effect of lidocaine on peplomycin-induced cell killing was found to increase as pH increased within the range of 7.0 to 8.0.