Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Pharmacy - Department of Biochemistry

Imatinib mesylate (IM), a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is used as targeted cancer therapy. However, mono-targeting by IM does not always achieve full tumor eradication and thus, it is recommended to combine IM with other anticancer agents. Clotrimazole (CLT) is an antifungal azole derivative with promising anticancer effects due to inhibiting the activity of glycolytic enzymes. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of combining CLT with IM on breast cancer cell line in an attempt to establish effective new combination. T47D human breast cancer cell line was treated with different concentrations of IM and/or CLT for 48 hours. IM-CLT interaction was determined by isobologram equation and combination index. Cell viability was confirmed by measuring lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity. As indicators of glycolysis inhibition, the expression of hexokinase-2 (HK-2) and 6- phosphofructo-1-kinase (PFK-1) plus the activity of intracellular LDH and pyruvate kinase (PK) were determined. In addition, glucose consumption and ATP production were measured. Moreover, nitric oxide (NO), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and hypoxia inducible factor-Ü (HIF- Ü) were also determined as they are modulators for glycolysis. This study demonstrated that IM or CLT synergistically inhibited cell growth in T47D as shown by combination and dose reduction indices. The combination of 15æM IM and 20æM CLT significantly decreased glucose consumption, activity of both PK and intracellular LDH, while increased leaked LDH, VEGF and NO in the medium compared to each drug alone. Furthermore the combination decreased gene expression of HK-2, PFK-1 and ATP content compared to the control. In conclusion, the synergistic effect of CLT on IM cytotoxicity in T47D cell line maybe mediated through inhibition of glycolysis and increasing both NO and VEGF. Further studies are required to confirm the efficiency and safety of this combination

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