title: Antitumour properties of dimethylsulphoxide ruthenium (II) complexes in the Lewis lung carcinoma system.
abstract: The antitumour effects of some ruthenium (II) complexes were tested in mice bearing the solid metastasizing tumour, Lewis lung carcinoma. The toxicity of trans-RuCl2 (DMSO)4 is 10-fold higher than that of its cis-isomer. Qualitatively the antitumour activity of these two complexes is comparable, although trans-isomer is more potent. Both exhibit only marginal effects on primary tumour growth while significantly lowering lung metastasis formation. The effects of trans-RuCl2 (DMSO)4 on primary tumour depend on the inoculum size, being more pronounced with low tumour inocula; significant antitumour effects can be achieved also by replacing Cl with I in the molecule. trans-RuCl2(DMSO)4 markedly reduces the number of lung metastases and particularly their volume; the reduction is comparable to that obtained with equitoxic treatments of cisplatin. Treatment with trans-RuCl2(DMSO)4 for 10 consecutive days, after surgical amputation of primary tumour, significantly prolongs the survival time of the treated mice; cisplatin, at equitoxic doses, is less effective. These data show that dimethylsulphoxide ruthenium(II) complexes possess a significant antitumour and antimetastatic activity in the Lewis lung system, also exhibiting an interesting therapeutic potential when combined with surgical amputation of the primary tumour.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sava
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pacor
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zorzet
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Alessio
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mestroni
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use* / Q000633:toxicity; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide / Q000627:therapeutic use* / Q000633:toxicity; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use* / Q000633:toxicity; D012428:Ruthenium / Q000627:therapeutic use* / Q000633:toxicity; D013237:Stereoisomerism
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; C038741:dichlorotetrakis(dimethyl sulfoxide)ruthenium II; D012428:Ruthenium; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide