An in vitro study of the inhibitory activity of gemcitabine and platinum agents in human endometrial carcinoma cell lines

Objective. To determine the cytotoxic activity of gemcitabine on a panel of endometrial cancer cell lines and to determine if the addition of platinum agents enhanced this activity. Methods. A panel of four endometrial carcinoma cell lines was treated with variable concentrations of gemcitabine, gemcitabine and cisplatin, or gemcitabine and carboplatin. 3-(4,5-Cimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays were performed to determine the IC50. Results. Each cell line evaluated revealed a dose-dependent decrease in cell growth for gemcitabine alone and in combination with platinum agents. The IC50 of gemcitabine with cisplatin was significantly lower than that of gemcitabine alone for all cell lines, including the platinum-resistant line. Conclusion. Gemcitabine exerts in vitro cytotoxicity on endometrial cancer cell lines, and the combination of gemcitabine and cisplatin is superior to gemcitabine alone. This may represent a promising option for treatment of endometrial cancer. (C) 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.