Induction of nitroblue tetrazolium reduction in mouse peritoneal macrophages by tumor promoters and inhibition of the induced nitroblue tetrazolium reduction by some inhibitors

Abstract Two polyacetates, aplysiatoxin and debromoaplysiatoxin, as well as 12- O -tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), mezerein and teleocidin enhance nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) reduction in mouse peritoneal macrophages in vitro. The ED 50 values for NBT reduction of these 5 TPA-type tumor promoters were 4.2 ng/ml for TPA, 36 ng/ml for mezerein, 0.53 ng/ml for teleocidin, 1.5 ng/ml for aplysiatoxin and 108 ng/ml for debromo-aplysiatoxin. The NBT reduction induced by the 5 tumor promoters is inhibited by 2 inhibitors of tumor promotion, retinoic acid and dibromoacetophenone. The possibility that tumor promotion by TPA-type tumor promoters involves similar mechanisms such as superoxide anion radicals release in cell membranes is discussed.