Antitumor effect of 5-fluorouracil in combination with some additives which stimulate the formation of antineoplastic 5-fluorouracil nucleotides.

Both ribose 1-phosphate and deoxyribose 1-phosphate, which were effective in increasing the formation of antineoplastic fluoronucleotides and fluoro-RNA from 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in the intact cells of Ehrlich mouse ascites tumor, potentiated the antitumor effect of 5-FU. Ethylenediaminetetraacetate, which stimulates the formation of only fluororibonucleotides from 5-FU in intact Ehrlich tumor cells, was ineffective in the potentiation of 5-FU antitumor activity. The relationship between the increased metabolite formation from 5-FU and the antitumor effect of 5-FU is discussed.