Histologic and ultrastructural alterations of a xenografted human colon adenocarcinoma after treatment with titanocene dichloride.
The influence of the antitumor agent titanocene dichloride on the morphologic appearance of a heterotransplanted human colon adenocarcinoma was investigated. The first alterations in tumor cells manifested 12 h after administration of a single dose (40 mg/kg) and consisted of nuclear changes, such as chromatin condensation, enlargement of the nuclear envelope, structural changes of the nucleoli, and formation of segmented nuclei 12 h later; bundles of microfilaments, lipid droplets and inclusion bodies, often containing cellular debris, occurred in the cytoplasm. Intracytoplasmic virus particles of type A were detectable. They were obviously extruded into the extracellular space by a budding process and became extracellular virus particles of type C. Within 24 h after treatment, the mitotic index decreased from 2.5% to 0.3%. Whereas after administration of a single dose, recovery phenomena took place between 2 and 4 days, the severe destruction induced by 3-fold doses of titanocene dichloride (3 X 30 mg/kg), was apparently not reversible. These results confirm the tumor-inhibiting potency of titanocene dichloride against human colon adenocarcinoma and underline the discriminatory power of morphologic studies in the preclinical evaluation of cytostatic drugs against heterotransplanted human tumors.
Köpf-Maier
P
P
Institut für Anatomie, Freien Universität Berlin.
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014025:Titanium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous
D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D014025:Titanium; C020528:titanocene dichloride