Different anticancer effects of fluvastatin on primary hepatocellular tumors and metastases in rats.

Rats (FLF1) were pretreated with 2 and 20 mg/kg/day fluvastatin (Flu), and after 6 weeks, hepatocellular tumor cells were inoculated under the left renal capsule. At different times, growth and pyruvate kinase (PK) activity of the primary tumors and lymph node metastases were determined. Flu had a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on primary and metastatic tumors, and the inhibitory effect on growth and PK activity in metastases were higher than in primary tumors. Finally, Flu had an earlier inhibitory effect on the early appeared PK activity in metastases than in primary tumors.

HMG CoA reductase inhibitor fluvastatin arrests the development of implanted hepatocarcinoma in rats.

BACKGROUND: Fluvastain (Flu) is widely accepted to have anticancer effect although its in vivo chemopreventive ability in cancer has not been studied. The therapeutic and chemopreventive effects of Flu were compared in vivo in the present study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Under the left renal capsule of FLF1 hybrid rats 10(6) hepatocarcinoma cells were implanted (He/De14) on sponge disc. The differences in net weight between the left and right kidneys were determined as tumor weights. Flu was administered per os in 0.5, 2 and 20 mg/kg/day doses. RESULTS: The 21-day pretreatment before tumor implantation with Flu had no effect on tumor development in the absence of Flu treatment after the implantation. The addition of Flu before and after tumor implantation demonstrated a more intensive anticancer effect than in the case of treatment given only after tumor implantation. CONCLUSION: Flu has in 0.5-20 mg/kg/day doses a therapeutic and also a preventive effect on hepatocarcinoma growth in rats depending on the type of administration.