Effect of pretazettine and viva-natural, a dietary seaweed extract, on spontaneous AKR leukemia in comparison with standard drugs.
Antileukemic activity of pretazettine hydrochloride (PTZ: a narcissus alkaloid) and Viva-Natural (a seaweed extract) has been confirmed against spontaneous AKR T cell leukemia in mice containing 20% of advanced leukemia. The activity of both agents has been compared with selected standard cytotoxic drugs, vincristine (VCR), methotrexate (MTX), 6-thioguanine (6-TG), and adriamycin (ADR), and immunomodulators, pyran copolymer (MVE-2), isoprinosine, levamisole and tilorone. PTZ activity seems to be superior (90% increase in life span, ILS) to those of MTX (71% ILS), 6-TG (60%), and ADR (49%), and inferior to VCR (114% ILS). Viva-Natural has been found to be the only immunomodulator (61%) active against AKR T cell leukemia, while all standard immunomodulators tested were not active. Combination treatment of PTZ with VCR, or 6-TG, or ADR, or Viva-Natural were synergistic, but combination of PTZ with MTX was not beneficial. PTZ or VCR has been found to be therapeutically very effective (323 or 347% ILS, respectively) against mice in advanced stage of leukemia, and induced complete clinical remissions. Also, PTZ has been found to reverse the leukemia-enhancing effect of ciclosporin in AKR mice at preleukemic stage.
Furusawa
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Department of Pharmacology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu.
Furusawa
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D000406:AKR murine leukemia virus; D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000470:Alkaloids / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D047151:Amaryllidaceae Alkaloids; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003524:Cyclosporins / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D004357:Drug Synergism; D005260:Female; D007942:Leukemia, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy*; D051379:Mice; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012624:Seaweed / Q000032:analysis*
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000470:Alkaloids; D047151:Amaryllidaceae Alkaloids; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D003524:Cyclosporins; D010936:Plant Extracts; C010766:pretazettine