title: [Therapeutic mechanisms and effects of urea in treating mouse transplantable hepatocellular carcinoma].
abstract: In this paper, mouse transplantable hepatocellular carcinomas of both solid and ascitic types were effectively treated by urea. Survival time of tumour-bearing animals was obviously prolonged. Tumour cells in the treated group were significant swelling, degeneration, necrosis, smoothing of cellular surface and loss of infiltrating ability to surrounding soft tissues observed by light, electron and scanning electron microscope. As assayed by cellular kinetics and autoradiography, proliferation was inhibited, appearing as decrease of mitotic index and prolongation of cell cycle time, and so on. The proliferating ability of tumour stem cells in the treated group was severely inhibited as tested by colony formation frequency in soft-agar medium. There was no obvious alteration in relative DNA content in tumour cells or in the ratio of number of cells in various phases to cell population according to the assay of fluorescence activated cell sorter. This means that urea is a cell cycle non-specific antitumour agent and is able to kill tumour cells in various phases.
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Cao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D008114:Liver Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects; D014508:Urea / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D014508:Urea