Vitamin B6 kills hepatoma cells in culture.

Data are presented which indicate that vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) can retard and eventually kill Fu5-5 rat hepatoma cells in culture. Additional studies indicate that the human kidney cell line 293-31, and a rat glial cell strain. C6, display growth characteristics similar to those of hepatoma cells when cultured in 5 mM pyridoxine-supplemented medium. However, the pyridoxine-supplemented culture medium had little effect on the growth of the human mammary cancer cell line MCF-7. The resistance of the MCF-7 cells to growth inhibition by vitamin B6 suggests that the vitamer pyridoxine must be metabolized by pyridoxal before it can act as a growth inhibitor. These findings suggest the potential use of vitamin B6 as an antineoplastic agent. Possible mechanisms by which vitamin B6 promotes this effect are presented.