title: Treatment of chemically induced autochthonous rat mammary and colorectal carcinomas with interleukin-2.
abstract: The antineoplastic efficacy of human interleukin-2 (IL-2) in autochthonous methylnitrosourea-induced mammary carcinoma and in acetoxymethyl-methyl-nitrosamine-induced colorectal carcinoma of Sprague Dawley rats has been investigated. Under the conditions applied, IL-2 was non-toxic. In the mammary carcinoma IL-2 was therapeutically inactive. In the colorectal carcinoma, 1200 U IL-2/day exhibited significant antitumour activity in established tumours as well as in tumours treated "prophylactically" before their manifestation (P less than 0.05). The effect of IL-2 seemed to be more pronounced when given before manifestation of colorectal tumours (T/C = 8.7% vs 17.8% in established tumours). The differential sensitivity of the autochthonous mammary and colorectal carcinoma may be explained by differences in their proliferation rates and differences in volumes at the beginning of IL-2 therapy. IL-2 seems to be preferentially active in small tumours with a low proliferation rate, a feature typical of colon tumours.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Toxicology and Chemotherapy, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg.
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salas
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Garzon
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Petru
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Schwulera
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schmähl
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000494:pharmacology; D002273:Carcinogens; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D004128:Dimethylnitrosamine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D005260:Female; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008325:Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008770:Methylnitrosourea; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D002273:Carcinogens; D007376:Interleukin-2; C014659:methyl(acetoxymethyl)nitrosamine; C048341:mafosfamide; D008770:Methylnitrosourea; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D004128:Dimethylnitrosamine