Glycosphingolipids of subcellular fractions from normal rat liver and Morris hepatoma 5123TC.

Neutral glycosphingolipids and gangliosides were quantified in lipid extracts from plasma membranes, mitochondria, microsomes, and nuclei isolated from normal rat liver and Morris hepatoma 5123TC. Results showed a higher content of glycosphingolipids, especially gangliosides, in hepatomas and differences in the distribution of glycosphingolipids among subcellular fractions. Differences in the glycosphingolipid composition of the hepatoma, namely, the absence of trisialogangliosides and an increase in the lower molecular weight gangliosides, reflected an altered metabolism of glycosphingolipids in this tumor. The results indicated that changes in membrane glycosphingolipids were not restricted to the cell surfaces of malignant cells, inasmuch as intracellular membrane fractions also exhibited altered glycosphingolipid profiles.

Possible relationship between glycosphingolipids and the formation of metastasis in certain human experimental tumors.

Two tumors, human sarcoma #1 (HS #1) and human epidermoid carcinoma #3 (HEp #3), were cultured on the chorioallantoic membrane of chick embryos. Under experimental conditions, HS #1 does not metastasize, whereas HEp #3 metastasizes extensively to chick embryo lungs and other organs. The glycosphingolipid profiles of these tumors were studied and HEp #3 wad found to contain about 2.5-fold less lipid-bound sialic acid per 100 mg of total lipid extracted than did HS #1, due mainly to smaller levels of monosialoganglioside (3.7-fold) and disialoganglioside (3.8-fold) in HEp #3. The total amount of neutral glycosphingolipids was approximately the same in both tumors, but their profiles differed. Treatment of these tumors with 6,7,8,9-tetrahydro-1-mercapto-1,2,4-triazolo-[4,3-a]quinazolin-5-ol (2.5 mg/egg/tumor) completely inhibited the formation of metastases in HEp #3 and increased the total content of lipid-bound sialic acid in the tumor by 63% (hematoside, monosialoganglioside, and disialoganglioside by 71, 99, and 67%, respectively). No change was seen in the content of lipid-bound sialic acid in HS #1. Treatment of HEp #3 with a smaller dose of te quinazolinol derivative (1.25 mg/egg) caused an average of 88% inhibition of metastasis, with a 37% increase in lipid-bound sialic acid. Another compound, 2,5-diphenylthiazolo-[5,4-d]thiazole (500 microgram/egg), completely inhibited the formation of metastasis and caused a substantial increase in the amount of lipid-bound sialic acid (77%). The data showed the existence of a correlation between the level of gangliosides in HEp #3 and the ability of these tumors to metastasize.

Ganglioside profiles of metastases and of metastasizing and nonmetastasizing rat primary mammary carcinomas.

The possible relationship between ganglioside levels and ganglioside profiles in malignant tumors and the formation of metastasis was investigated by the analysis of gangliosides in metastasizing SMT-2A and nonmetastasizing MT-W9a mammary carcinomas as well as in metastases formed from SMT-2A tumors. The extracted lipid of SMT-2A tumors contained 3.3-fold more lipid-bound sialic acid than did that of MT-W9a tumors. THe differences were also substantial in the ganglioside profiles in these 2 tumors. Plasma membranes isolated from SMT-2A tumors also contained 1.8-fold more lipid-bound sialic acid than did plasma membranes from MT-W9a tumors. Ganglioside profiles in two types of SMT-2A secondary tumors were investigated. The lipid-bound sialic acid content was 1.5-fold higher in tumor nodules in the lung and 1.9-fold higher in axillary lymph node tumors than it was in primary SMT-2A tumors. The ganglioside pattern in these 2 secondary tumors generally reflected that found in SMT-2A: high levels of gangliosides containing three or four sialic acid molecules. The lung nodule retained its specificity with respect to lipid-bound sialic acid content and ganglioside pattern after the lung nodule was sequentially transplanted three times to the site of the original SMT-2A tumor growth.

Resistance patterns of Walker carcinosarcoma 256 and other rodent tumors to cyclophosphamide and L-phenylalanine mustard.

Comparison is made of the development of resistance to cyclophosphamide (CPA) and L-phenylalanine mustard (L-PAM), of cross-resistance, and chromosome counts, in Walker 256 (W256), rat sarcoma R3 (R3), leukemia L1210, and Ridgway osteogenic sarcoma. For development of resistance the single maximum tolerated doses of CPA or L-PAM were used, each for two sublines in the four tumors. In W256 after only one to five treatment generations, all sublines were resistant, whereas only by generation 10 had R3/CPA, R3/L-PAM, and L1210/CPA reached marked resistance, and L1210/L-PAM reached moderate resistance. All four Ridgway osteogenic sarcoma sublines were essentially still as sensitive as the parent tumor. Long-established resistant sublines from previous studies (greater than 20 treatment generations) were used for cross-resistance, chromosome, and stability studies. All W256-resistant sublines were cross-resistant to CPA, L-PAM, and thiotepa; but the sublines of the other tumors, although showing marked, or in the case of L1210/CPA, complete resistance to their respective inducing agents, retained moderate-to-full sensitivity to the other alkylators. W256/CPA and W256/L-PAM were mainly polyploid (greater than 80% of cells), whereas the other tumors were mainly diploid or near diploid. During 10 to 20 untreated generations the degree of drug resistance remained unchanged in W256 and L1210 lines, but was reduced in R3 and Ridgway osteogenic sarcoma lines. The resistance pattern of W256 appears to be compatible with a simple selection mechanism, whereas those of the three other tumors suggest involvement of multiple determinants. This study suggests that some, but not all, tumors have universal cross-resistance between different types of alkylating agents.

Sensitivity to chemotherapeutic and immunomodulating agents of two mouse lymphomas and of a macrophage tumor.

The effect of treatment with 15 chemotherapeutic and 10 immunomodulating agents on the growth of T-cell lymphoma EL-4, macrophage tumor J774, and B-cell lymphoma 70Z/2 of the mouse has been studied using the prolongation of median survival time of tumor-bearing hosts as an index of therapeutic effectiveness. The survival time of mice bearing 70Z/2 was prolonged more than 100% by single-agent therapy with actinomycin D, cyclophosphamide, 6-mercaptopurine, mitomycin C, and vinblastine; a similar response of J774 was produced by therapy with Adriamycin, cyclophosphamide, or 6-mercaptopurine. No chemotherapeutic agent prolonged the median survival time of mice bearing EL-4 by 100% or more. Of the immunomodulating agents, mycobacterial preparations (Bacillus Calmette-Guérin or interphase material), Corynebacterium parvum, and polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid moderately prolonged the survival time of mice bearing J774 or 70Z/2; the EL-4 lymphoma was refractory to all 10 immunomodulating agents.

Prevention of leukemia and the increase of plasma levels of lipid-bound sialic acid by allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in mice.

AKR/J (hereafter called AK) mice treated by total-body irradiation plus syngeneic marrow transplantation developed a leukemia-lymphoma complex and concomitantly showed increased levels of lipid-bound sialic acid as was also seen in untreated AK mice between 6 weeks and 6 and 11.5 months of age. C57BL/6J (hereafter called B6) mice did not show a leukemia-lymphoma complex and did not develop elevated levels of lipid-bound sialic acid with aging. B6----AK chimeras, prepared with B6 bone marrow deprived of Thy-1,2-positive cells prior to allogeneic transplantation and kept in laminar flow isolation, did not develop graft-versus-host reactions, lived long lives (observations carried up to 13 months), failed to develop leukemia-lymphoma, and had persistently low levels of lipid-bound sialic acid. These findings indicate that introduction of resistance by marrow transplantation can inhibit development of retrovirus-induced cancer and also prevents an increase in levels of a putative cancer indicator.

Alterations in glycosphingolipids of plasma membranes from Morris hepatoma 5123TC.

Neutral glycosphingolipids and gangliosides were quantified in lipid extracts from normal rat liver and Morris hepatoma 5123TC and their isolated plasma membranes to determine differences in these components in the cell surface membranes of malignant cells. Glycosphingolipids present in rat liver and hepatoma were concentrated in plasma membranes, and glycosphingolipid patterns in plasma membranes reflected those of their respective whole cells. Neutral glycospingolipids of plasma membranes from normal liver and from hepatoma consisted of ceramide mono- and dihexosides, together accounting for 83 to 86% of the total neutral glycosphingolipids and some ceramide tri- and tetrahexosides. In plasma membranes from hepatoma, the concentration of neutral glycosphingolipids was generally greater than in plasma membranes from normal liver. Gangliosides of plasma membranes from hepatoma were altered more drastically, since trisialogangliosides, present in plasma membranes from normal liver, were absent, while hematosides, monosialogangliosides, and disialogangliosides were increased an average eight-fold. These data are compatible with a concept of incomplete synthesis of trisialogangliosides in hepatoma and an accumulation precursor gangliosides.

Lipid-associated sialic acid test for the detection of human cancer.

A rapid method for the measurement of serum and/or plasma, lipid-associated sialic acid levels has been developed. This test has been applied to 850 human sera of which 670 came from patients with nine categories of malignant disease, 80 from persons with benign disorders, and 100 from normal individuals. Lipid-associated sialic acid concentrations were found to be significantly increased (p less than 0.001) in all groups of cancer patients as compared to both those with benign diseases and normal controls. Test sensitivity in the detection of cancer ranged from 77 to 97%. Specificity was, respectively, 81 and 93% for the benign and normal groups. In small samples of patients, no association between test values and tumor burden was found. This test compares favorably with the most widely used tumor marker test, that for carcinoembryonic antigen.

Therapy of 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene-induced rat mammary carcinomas with combinations of 5-fluorouracil and 2 alpha-methyldihydrotestosterone propionate.

This investigation was undertaken to determine whether a combination of a cytotoxic drug with a sex hormone would provide efficacious therapy for mammary carcinomas. Established, 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene-induced rat mammary carcinomas were treated with 5-fluorouracil (5-FUra) and 2 alpha-methyldihydrotestosterone propionate (MDTP) for 4 weeks. At end of therapy, pooled data showed 21% of the tumors in complete remission (CR) in rats given 5-FUra at 17.5 mg/kg/day and 3% in those given 8 mg/kg/day. Administration of MDTP at 1.25 to 5 mg/kg/day yielded 15 to 48% tumor CR. The combination of 5-FUra at 17.5 mg/kg/day with MDTP at 5, 2.5, and 1.25 mg/kg/day induced, respectively, 96, 91, and 75% CR. Maxima of 100, 100, and 92% CR were obtained in single tests at these respective doses. Therapy with combinations of 5-FUra at 8 mg/day and MDTP at 2.5 and 1.25 mg/kg/day yielded, respectively, 69 and 61% tumor CR. Appearance of new tumors during and after therapy was controlled more effectively by combinations of the two agents. Analysis of percentage of tumor CR showed marked synergism for 5-FUra and MDTP. A second course of combination therapy effectively prolonged duration of CR. Therapy with the cytotoxic drug 5-FUra in combination with the androgen analog MDTP is highly efficacious against induced mammary carcinomas.

Comparative effects of a series of prolactin inhibitors, 17beta-estradiol and 2alpha-methyldihydrotestosterone propionate, on growth of 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene-induced rat mammary carcinomas.

Eight ergot alkaloids and ergoline derivatives, effective prolactin inhibitors, were tested for activity against DMBA-induced rat mammary carcinomas. Compounds were administered daily, 5 times/week for 4 weeks, and rats were observed for an additional 4 weeks. Groups treated with androgen and estrogen were used as positive controls. Those ergot compounds and ergolines that proved to be highly effective in reducing tumor size or in inducing regression of tumors to nonpalpability were Deprenon (D-6-methyl-8-ergolin-I-ylacetic acid amide) and ergocryptine; effective to an intermediate degree were Dironyl [N-(D-6-methyl-8-isoergolin-I-yl)-N',N'-diethylurea], ergocornine, and Lysenyl [N-(D-6-methyl-8-isoergolenyl)-N',N'-diethyl-urea]; and effective to a minimal degree were Lergotrile (2-chloro-6-methylergoline-8beta-acetonitrile), CB-154, and 6605-VUFB (D-6-methyl-8-cyanomethylergolin-I). Remission of many individual carcinomas was brief, and duration of complete regression (all tumors in the rat were nonpalpable) was less than 10 weeks.

Discrete separation of HDL2 from HDL3 of human serum by means of polyacrylamide gel.

A relatively short, simple procedure is presented to separate serum high-density lipoproteins discretely into the two main classes, those with densities between 1.063 and 1.125 g/ml (HDL2) and those with densities between 1.125 and 1.210 g/ml (HDL3). A 3.5% polyacrylamide gel in 10 cm glass tubes and the use of Tris/glycine buffer, pH 8.4, will accomplish this separation. The components can be identified in several different ways, examples of which are given. This procedure will give rapid and reliable estimations of both HDL2 and HDL3, and can be used to relate their levels and proportional amounts to incidence or risk of atherosclerosis, coronary-artery disease and possibly cancer.