A nitroimidazole derivative, PR-350, enhances the killing of pancreatic cancer cells exposed to high-dose irradiation under hypoxia.

The radiosensitizing effects of PR-350, a nitroimidazole derivative, were examined concerning the cell killing of human pancreatic cancer cell lines exposed to high doses of gamma-ray irradiation in vitro. The percentages of dead cells were analyzed with a multiwell plate reader to measure the fluorescence intensity of propidium iodide before and after a digitonin treatment. The sensitizing effect of PR-350 on cell killing by high-dose irradiation was confirmed by time-course, dose-dependency, and microscopic observations. In five of seven pancreatic cancer cell lines in which the number of dead cells was determined 5 days after 30 Gy irradiation in the presence of PR-350, the number was significantly increased under hypoxic conditions, but not under aerobic conditions. The selective radiosensitive effect of PR-350 on hypoxic cells was also confirmed by flow cytometry. The results indicate that PR-350 can enhance the killing of pancreatic cancer cells by high-dose irradiation under hypoxia, which supports its clinical radiosensitizing effects when administered during intraoperative irradiation to pancreatic cancer.