o-(chloroacetylcarbamoyl)fumagillol and Gliosarcoma

Tissue oxygen tensions were measured in subcutaneously growing rat 9L gliosarcoma under normal air and carbogen breathing conditions prior to and after i.v. administration of a perflubron emulsion. When these animals were treated with the anti-angiogenic agents TNP-470 and minocycline for 5 days prior to oxygen measurement, tumor hypoxia was decreased compared with untreated tumors. Hypoxia, defined as the percent of pO2 readings < or = 5 mm Hg, was decreased from 71% in untreated air-breathing controls to 34% in animals treated with the anti-angiogenic agents, the perflubron emulsion and carbogen breathing. These effects were manifest in the increased response of the tumor to single-dose (10, 20 and 30 Gy) radiation therapy. Twenty-four hours after treatment with BCNU oxygenation of the tumors was not altered; however, 24 hr after administration of adriamycin oxygenation of the tumors was increased such that hypoxia in adriamycin-treated tumors in animals receiving the perflubron emulsion and carbogen was reduced to 21%. Tumor growth delay in the s.c. tumors was increased by the addition of treatment with the anti-angiogenic agents from day 4 through day 18 post-tumor cell implantation along with BCNU or adriamycin on days 7-11. Administration of the perflubron emulsion and carbogen breathing resulted in increased tumor growth delay with the chemotherapeutic agents alone and in combination with the anti-angiogenic agents. Life span in animals bearing intracranially implanted 9L gliosarcoma progressively increased with administration of the anti-angiogenic agents and then the anti-angiogenic agents and perflubron emulsion/carbogen compared to treatment with BCNU or adriamycin.

Topics: Animals; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; Cyclohexanes; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; Gliosarcoma; Minocycline; Neoplasm Transplantation; O-(Chloroacetylcarbamoyl)fumagillol; Oxygen; Rats; Rats, Inbred F344; Sarcoma, Experimental; Sesquiterpenes

Angiogenesis is a process fundamental to the growth of many solid tumours. Agents that inhibit angiogenesis may have a role in preventing tumour growth. AGM-1470, a synthetic analogue of fumagillin, has been shown to inhibit tumour growth in several extracranial solid tumour models. Its use has been reported to have minimal side effects. No studies have been reported using AGM-1470 in the treatment of an intracranial tumour. To determine the effect of AGM-1470 on an intracranial glial tumour, we used an improved implantation technique to place 80,000 9L tumour cells into the right caudate nucleus of 25 male Fischer 344 rats. Starting on the first post-implantation day, 12 animals received 30 mg kg-1 AGM-1470 via intraperitoneal injection every other day until death. Thirteen control animals received vehicle only. Evidence of intracranial tumour was apparent in 22/23 animals (96%). All animals treated with AGM-1470 experienced a progressive and significant weight loss when compared to controls. At day 17, treated animals retained 80.0 +/- 2.2% of their initial weight, (mean +/- SD) compared to 100.9 +/- 3.6% for controls (p = 2.25 x 10(-12); student's t-test). AGM-1470 had no effect on survival. Median survival in the treatment group was 24.5 days compared to 25 days in the controls (p = 0.95; Mann-Whitney). AGM-1470, although promising in extracranial tumour models, may not be as effective in controlling the growth of intracranial tumours, and its use is not without significant systemic effects. More studies are needed before this drug is used in human brain tumour trials.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Topics: Animals; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; Brain Neoplasms; Cyclohexanes; Disease Models, Animal; Gliosarcoma; Male; Neoplasm Transplantation; O-(Chloroacetylcarbamoyl)fumagillol; Rats; Rats, Inbred F344; Sesquiterpenes; Tumor Cells, Cultured