Effect of Chlorpromazine, Trifluoperazine and Imipramine on the Expression of Ovarian Cancer Marker Protein, Folate Receptor

Abstract

In the present study, We studied the effects of chlorpromazine, trifluoperazine and imipramine widely used as antidepressants and anticancer therapeutic drugs on the expression process and folic acid binding activity of human folate receptor(hFR) in nasopharyngeal epidermoid carcinoma cell line (KB) and ovarian carcinoma cell line (IGROV1). The expressions of FR in IGROV1 and KB cells cultured with or without chlorpromazine, trifluoperazine and imipramine were not shown significant differences. These results show that widely used antidepressants and anticancer drugs such as chlorpromazine, trifluoperazine and imipramine do not effect on the expression of FR on transcription andtranslation level in IGROV1. We also examined whether exposure of IGROV1 and KB cells to several concentratios of chlorpromazine, trifluoperazine and imipramine influence to the folic acid binding activity of FR. Chlorpromazine and trifluoperazine inhibited the folic acid binding activity of FR at each concentration and imipramine did not inhibit at low concentration, but at high concentration. These results suggest that chlorpromazine, trifluoperazine and imipramine may induce anticancer effect by inhibition of the transportation mechanism.