[Antitumor activity of Ge-132, a new organogermanium compound, in mice is expressed through the functions of macrophages and T lymphocytes].
The antitumor activity of Ge-132 against a variety of allogeneic and syngeneic murine ascites tumors was first evaluated. The antitumor effects of Ge-132 were observed when mice inoculated with Ehrlich carcinoma (allogeneic) or RL male 1 leukemia (syngeneic) cells were treated orally. However, Ge-132 had no activity on a T-cell lymphoma (EL 4, syngeneic) or a methylcholanthrene-induced fibrosarcoma (Meth-A, syngeneic). The antitumor effect of Ge-132 in mice was related to the dose administered as well as the administration schedule. The antitumor activity of Ge-132 was next studied in mice pretreated with some blockers against immunocompetent cells. The antitumor efficacy of Ge-132 was not observed when tumor-bearing mice were treated with trypan blue and carrageenan or monoclonal anti-Thy 1.2 antibody. However, when natural killer cells were eliminated from mice bearing RL male 1 or Ehrlich ascites tumors by treatment with anti-asialo GM 1 antiserum, the antitumor efficacy of the compound was unchanged. These results suggest that Ge-132 is effective against certain ascites tumors regardless of whether the tumor is syngeneic or allogeneic. Further, its effect might be expressed through host defense mechanisms, including macrophages and/or T lymphocytes.
D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002286:Carcinoma, Ehrlich Tumor / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D005857:Germanium / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007938:Leukemia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D008114:Liver Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011422:Propionates; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D011422:Propionates; D005857:Germanium; C066750:propagermanium