The antimitotic effects of Ukrain™, a Chelidonium majus alkaloid derivative, are reversible in vitro

Ukrain™ is alleged to be an effective chemotherapeutic drug which causes minimal side-effects as a result of selective toxicity towards malignant cells only. We previously failed to confirm this claim and found Ukrain™ to be equally toxic to normal, transformed and malignant cell lines by causing a metaphase arrest. In this study we have found the antimitotic actions of Ukrain™ to be reversible in low doses in vitro, as shown by flow cytometry and concurrent haematoxylin and eosin stains. We hypothesize that the lack of side-effects found in vivo may be due to the lack of therapeutically effective dosages being administered, therefore enabling cells to overcome the metaphase arrest and survive.