Divergent effects of taxol on tumor necrosis factor-α-mediated cytolysis of ovarian carcinoma cells

Abstract OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to study the combined effect of taxol and tumor necrosis factor-a on the cytolysis of human ovarian carcinoma cell lines, because taxol has been shown to be active against ovarian carcinoma and has also been shown to increase tumor necrosis factor-α release from macrophages. STUDY DESIGN: The combined effect of taxol and tumor necrosis factor-α on the cell lines Caov-3, SK-OV-3, NIH: OVCAR-3, and A2780, which are sensitive to the cytolytic effect of tumor necrosis factor-α in the presence of inhibitors of protein synthesis, was investigated with a 24-hour chromium 51 release assay. RESULTS: At therapeutic concentrations taxol caused a significant increase in tumor necrosis factor-α-mediated cytolysis of Caov-3 and A2780 ( p ≤ 0.05). By contrast, taxol caused a decrease in the tumor necrosis factor-α-mediated cytolysis of SK-OV-3 and NIH:OVCAR-3 ( p ≤ 0.01). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that ovarian carcinomas have a heterogeneous response to the chemotherapeutic effect of taxol. (AM J OBSTET GYNECOL 1992;167:1870-6.)