The enhancement of the activity of 10-propargyl-5,8-dideazafolate and 5,10-dideazatetrahydrofolate by inhibitors of dihydrofolate reductase.

Treatment of H35 hepatoma cells with the lipid soluble dihydrofolate reductase inhibitors metoprine and trimetrexate cause a nearly 10-fold increase in the toxicity of the antipyrimidine folate analogue PDDF and the antipurine folate analogue DDATHF. Evaluation of these interactions by the combination index developed by Chou (17-20) yields results conforming to synergistic interactions. The capacity of PDDF to inhibit thymidylate synthase in intact cells as measured by tritium release from [5-3H]deoxyuridine was increased by approximately the same amount by preincubation with the dihydrofolate reductase inhibitors. The primary effect of the reductase inhibitors in causing greater activity may be a reduction in cellular folates which can cause 5,10-CH2H4PteGlun to decrease and cellular PDDF (polyglutamates) to increase. These conditions would favor inhibition of thymidylate synthase by PDDF by promoting formation of the stable, inhibited PDDF (polyglutamates)-thymidylate synthase-dUMP complex (12).