Studies with cis-diamminedichloro-platinum II and exogenous polyamines using mammalian cells in culture.

Polyamines, such as putrescine and spermine, are naturally occurring substances intimately associated with normal and neoplastic growth. High levels are found in cancer patients and are associated with tumour growth. Experiments with V79 hamster cells cultured in vitro have demonstrated that the presence of putrescine and spermine can significantly reduce the cytotoxicity of the commonly used chemotherapy agent cis-DDP. These data may have clinical implications.