title: The anti-tumour effects of the prodrugs N-l-leucyl-doxorubicin and vinblastine-isoleucinate in human ovarian cancer xenografts.
abstract: N-l-leucyl-doxorubicin and vinblastine-isoleucinate can be considered as relatively non-toxic prodrugs from doxorubicin and vinblastine, respectively. A comparative analysis was carried out of the anti-tumour activity of the four compounds as well as vintriptol in four human ovarian cancer xenografts different in histology, growth rate and chemosensitivity. Injections were given i.v. weekly twice into mice bearing well-established s.c. tumours. At equitoxic doses, the amount of drug administered for N-l-leucyl-doxorubicin and vinblastine-isoleucinate was respectively 3-fold and 2-fold higher than the doses of the parent compound. N-l-leucyl-doxorubicin induced a growth inhibition > 50% in three out of four human ovarian cancer lines. The anti-tumour effects obtained were significantly better (P < 0.01) than in the case of doxorubicin. Vinblastine-isoleucinate studied in two of these lines could induce a growth inhibition of > 50%. This prodrug appeared slightly less effective than vinblastine. Insignificant growth inhibition (< 50%) was obtained by vintriptol.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Free University Hospital, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Boven
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Hendriks
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Erkelens
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Pinedo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007532:Isoleucine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011355:Prodrugs / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous; D014747:Vinblastine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D011355:Prodrugs; D007532:Isoleucine; C050339:vintriptol; D014747:Vinblastine; C073409:N-leucyldoxorubicin; D004317:Doxorubicin; C080984:vinleucinol