[Targeting chemotherapy of hepatocellular carcinoma by arterial administration of anticancer agents dissolved in lipiodol].

The lipid lymphographic agent, Lipiodol ultrafluid has been found to remain selectively in hepatocellular carcinoma. Using this characteristic nature of Lipiodol, a new targeting anticancer chemotherapy was devised. In order to achieve targeting anticancer chemotherapy and useful anticancer effects, anticancer drugs must be dissolved or suspended in Lipiodol and diffuse out from the Lipiodol gradually. Oily anticancer agents such as SMANCS dissolved in Lipiodol (SMANCS/Lipiodol), Mitomycin C in Lipiodol (MMC/Lipiodol), Aclarubicin in Lipiodol (ACR/Lipiodol) and a mixture of these were administered by catheterizing the celiac or hepatic artery under X-ray monitoring in 216 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Remarkable anticancer effects of this targeting chemotherapy were achieved, the serum AFP level and tumor size both showing a decrease in 91% of cases. The survival period of patients with unresectable hepatoma treated with the present protocol was definitely longer than the comparison group.

[The effect of hyperthermia and antitumor drugs on brain tumor cell lines].

The effects of heat and antitumor drugs on malignant brain tumor cell lines were studied. A human glioblastoma cell line (SKMG1) and rat malignant brain tumor cell lines (T9, EB 679 and TR 481) were used in this experiment. Five different modalities of treatment with heat and drugs were used as follows: (Group 1) exposure to heat alone at 42 degrees C for one hour; (Group 2) exposure to antitumor drug alone for one hour (ACNU 2.5 or 5 micrograms/ml, ACR 0.02 micrograms/ml and CDDP 1 microgram/ml); (Group 3) simultaneous exposure to heat at 42 degrees C and drug for one hour; (Group 4) heat at 42 degrees C given first for one hour, followed by one hour exposure to drug one hour later ("preheating"); (Group 5) drug given first for one hour, followed by one hour exposure to heat at 42 degrees C one hour later ("postheating"). After each treatment, the inhibition rate at 4 days was evaluated and compared for each group. A synergistic effect was observed in Group 3. For example, when T9 cells were exposed to ACNU and to heat at 42 degrees C at the same time for one hour, inhibition rate was 78%, while the rates for Group 1 and Group 2 were 7% and 21%, respectively. The cytotoxicity of simultaneous treatment with antitumor drugs (ACNU, ACR and CDDP) and hyperthermia at 42 degrees C was apparently superior to that of other treatment modalities.

[Experimental study of the antitumor anthracycline antibiotic aclarubicin (aclacinomycin A)]. / Eksperimental'noe izuchenie protivoopukholevogo antratsiklinovogo antibiotika aklarubitsina (aklatsinomitsina A).

Aclarubicin (ACR) has a selective inhibitory effect on the synthesis of RNA in the cells. The time of the antibiotic contact with the cells is an important factor in realization of its cytotoxic activity. As compared to adriamycin, ACR has a low specific activity in lymphoid leukemia P388, melanoma B16 and lung cancer LL. The therapeutic efficacy of ACR depended on the scheme of its use: in treatment of rapidly proliferating tumors such as P388 the highest effect is attained with the daily use of the antibiotic for 9 days, in treatment of slowly developing melanoma B16 the results were more satisfactory with intermittent use of the drug on days 1, 5 and 9 after the strain transplantation. The new antibiotic was highly effective on its use either intravenously or orally.

[Arterial administration of SMANCS and other antitumor agents dissolved in lipiodol for various malignant solid tumors].

Selective deposition of lipiodol in primary and metastatic liver cancer, lung cancer, gallbladder cancer, pancreatic cancer and renal cancer was elucidated by plain X-ray film and CT. Selective delivery of anticancer agent, SMANCS was also proved by measurement of its biological activities of removed specimen. Because of these selective delivery of anticancer agent and embolization of neovasculature in the tumor, highly effective chemotherapy of unresectable cancer was established. Drug was given via celiac, the hepatic, bronchial or renal artery mostly 1-5 mg in 1-5 ml of lipiodol once every 3-8 weeks. Antitumor effects of this therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma was confirmed based on decrease in AFP levels (92% of the cases), reduction in tumor size (90% of the cases) and histology. In 76 percent of the patients with the other malignant solid tumors reduction in tumor size was recognized. Decrease in CEA level occurred in 88 percent of the cases with metastatic liver cancer and lung cancer. Major side effect was transient fever in about 50% of cases. Mitomycin C and aclarubicin dissolved in lipiodol showed remarkable antitumor effects for experimental liver cancer.

Clinical correlations of leukemic clonogenic cell chemosensitivity assessed by in vitro continuous exposure to drugs.

This study was performed to assess the value of prolonged, as opposed to short-pulse, in vitro exposure of leukemic cells to chemotherapeutic drugs in leukemic clonogenic assay for prediction of clinical response. In 21 patients with acute nonlymphocytic leukemia treated with intensive combination chemotherapy based on an anthracycline and 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine infusion, chemotherapy sensitivity of leukemic clonogenic cells was assessed in comparison with that of normal myeloid clonogenic cells by the in vitro continuous exposure to drugs throughout the entire culture period. Analysis of these in vitro data in terms of prediction of achieving clinical complete remission was carried out in comparison with data on 22 cases in which in vitro sensitivity was assessed by the pulse 1-hr exposure. The in vitro sensitivity index, expressed as a log odds ratio, was positive (greater than 0) in 8 of 11 patients achieving complete remission and negative (less than 0) in 7 of 10 patients failing to achieve complete remission, with an overall correlation of 71%. This is at least as good as the pulse exposure method, which has a correlation of 68%. If sensitivity indexes of marginal magnitudes (--1.0 approximately +1.0) are excluded, the correlation increases to 92% (12 of 13 patients). The correlation appears to improve especially for 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine by the continuous exposure method (71%) as compared with the pulse method (57%). This study establishes the feasibility of an in vitro chemotherapy sensitivity testing of leukemic clonogenic cells by continuous in vitro drug exposure and suggests that the continuous exposure method may be better than the pulse method for antimetabolites such as 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine. The data also suggest that simulation of the in vivo drug schedule may be important in this in vitro test.

[Antitumor spectrum of aclacinomycin A, MA 144 N 1 and MA 144 S 1 on the rat ascitic hepatoma (author's transl)].

Antitumor activity of new anthracycline antibiotics aclacinomycin A, MA 144 N1 and MA 144 S 1 was studied on 11 cell lines of ascitic hepatoma in Donryu rats. These compounds showed similar antitumor spectrum against AH hepatoma; moderate effect on AH 13, 44, 66, 66F, 7974 and 60 C in the ip inoculation-ip treatment system. Aclacinomycin A showed a marked antitumor effect on AH 41 C in the iv-iv system, and AH 44 in the iv-ip and iv-po systems. The antitumor spectrum of aclacinomycin A seems to be different from that of adriamycin.