# The role of cytostatic in oxidative stress reactions

**Authors:** Renata Polaniak, Aleksander Kwiatkowski, Michał Górski, Elżbieta Grochowska-Niedworok, Małgorzata Latocha

PMC · DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2025.1667522 · 2025-10-13

## TL;DR

This paper explores how cytostatic drugs used in cancer treatment increase oxidative stress and affect antioxidant enzymes in cells.

## Contribution

The study provides insights into how cytostatic drugs modulate antioxidant enzyme activity under oxidative stress conditions.

## Key findings

- Cytostatic drugs like doxorubicin and cisplatin increase mitochondrial production of reactive oxygen species.
- Antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase and catalase are modulated under oxidative stress from these drugs.

## Abstract

Cytostatic drugs are widely applied in cancer therapy. Among the most commonly used agents are anthracyclines, such as doxorubicin, and platinum (II) complexes, including cisplatin, carboplatin, and oxaliplatin. Treatment with cytostatic drugs has been shown to enhance the mitochondrial production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Cells regulate redox homeostasis through scavenging systems, with antioxidant enzymes playing a crucial role in neutralizing ROS. Key enzymes involved in this defense include superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione S-transferase, whose activity may be modulated under oxidative stress conditions. Previous research has documented the effects of cytostatic drugs on cancer cell cultures in vitro, as well as the corresponding alterations in antioxidant enzyme activity observed under these conditions.

## Linked entities

- **Proteins:** Cat (Catalase), GSTU5 (glutathione S-transferase tau 5)
- **Chemicals:** doxorubicin (PubChem CID 31703), cisplatin (PubChem CID 5460033), carboplatin (PubChem CID 426756), oxaliplatin (PubChem CID 9887053)

## Full-text entities

- **Genes:** CAT (catalase) [NCBI Gene 847], GSTK1 (glutathione S-transferase kappa 1) [NCBI Gene 373156] {aka GST, GST 13-13, GST13, GST13-13, GSTK1-1, hGSTK1}
- **Diseases:** cancer (MESH:D009369)
- **Chemicals:** oxaliplatin (MESH:D000077150), cisplatin (MESH:D002945), platinum (MESH:D010984), carboplatin (MESH:D016190), doxorubicin (MESH:D004317), ROS (MESH:D017382), anthracyclines (MESH:D018943)

## Figures

3 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12554442/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12554442