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Lonidamine induces in murine and human tumor cells severe morphological damage of the mitochondria and other cytoplasmic structures both 'in vitro' and 'in vivo'. Biochemical studies have demonstrated that the drug decreases oxygen consumption and lactate production. The sensitivity of human tumor cells is not related to their histotype. Lonidamine's effects on mitochondria, glycolysis, pentose phosphate pathway, and aromatase activity are discussed.

The effect of the association of Gossypol and Lonidamine on the energy metabolism of Ehrlich ascites tumor cells has been investigated. The action of the drug on tumor cells was studied by addition of the drugs to cells harvested from Swiss male mice. The results may be summarized as follows: (1) Low concentrations of Gossypol increase the rate of oxygen consumption by uncoupling oxidative phosphorylation. High concentrations result in an inhibition of oxygen consumption with a mechanism that must be regarded as not directly related to the uncoupling activity. (2) Gossypol, at concentrations at which it exerts an uncoupling activity, stimulates mitochondrial ATPase which in turn increases the aerobic and anaerobic rates of lactate production. The decrease of glycolysis at high concentrations of Gossypol does not depend on the inhibition of enzymes of the glycolytic pathway, but must be ascribed to cell death. (3) The association of a low concentration of Gossypol with Lonidamine brings about a further inhibition of oxygen consumption. Moreover, Lonidamine abolishes the stimulation of glycolysis induced by Gossypol and lowers lactate production to values that are quite similar to those found with Lonidamine alone. (4) It may be concluded that the association of Gossypol and Lonidamine results in a very effective decrease of the energy requirements of cancer cells.

The effect of the association of gossypol and Lonidamine on the electron transport in Ehrlich ascites tumor mitochondria has been investigated by addition of drugs to isolated mitochondria. The results may be summarized as follows. (1) Low concentrations of gossypol increase the rate of oxygen consumption at the level of three energy-conserving sites of the respiratory chain. Higher concentrations result in an inhibition of oxygen consumption at (or near) both energy-conserving sites 1 and 2, while energy-conserving site 3 is unaffected. (2) Gossypol, at concentrations at which it exerts its uncoupling effect, stimulates ATPase activity. Higher concentrations inhibit the enzyme activity. (3) The addition of gossypol to mitochondria respiring on pyruvate plus malate or succinate induces a more oxidized state of NAD+ and cytochrome b, respectively. (4) Gossypol enhances the effect of Lonidamine on oxygen consumption. Lonidamine does not affect state 4 respiration, but in the presence of gossypol, it determines a marked decrease in the rate of oxygen consumption. The inhibition of oxidation of NAD-linked substrates is greater than that of FAD-linked substrates. (5) It may be concluded that gossypol is very effective in potentiating the effect of Lonidamine. Moreover, it may be suggested that the antitumor activity of Lonidamine is enhanced if it is used in combination with other drugs and/or treatments, such as hyperthermia, which modify the energy status of mitochondria.

The action of Lonidamine [1-(2,4-dichlorobenzyl)-1-H-indazol-3-carboxylic acid] on oxygen consumption and the rate of aerobic and anaerobic lactate production by Ehrlich ascites tumor cells has been investigated. The rate of oxygen consumption decreases exponentially with the increase of Lonidamine concentration, with maximal inhibition occurring at 0.40 mM Lonidamine. The rate of aerobic lactate production is inhibited to the same extent as is the oxygen consumption. However, the maximum effect is observed at 0.12 mM Lonidamine, and the decrease is linear with Lonidamine concentration. Anaerobic lactate production is more sensitive to Lonidamine, and complete inhibition can be observed by raising the concentration to 0.6 mM. The possibility that the decrease observed in lactate production was secondary to the inhibition of sodium- and potassium-containing adenosinetriphosphatase was excluded, because the drug has no effect on this enzyme. Mitochondrial adenosinetriphosphatase was not affected. Lonidamine was, however, shown to inhibit the activity of mitochondrially bound hexokinase to approximately the same extent as it inhibited aerobic glycolysis (approximately 70%). It is concluded that inhibition of the glycolysis of Ehrlich ascites tumor cells by Lonidamine results from an effect of the drug on the mitochondrially bound hexokinase.