title: Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist inhibits subcutaneous B16 melanoma growth in vivo.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Previously we demonstrated that injection of Interleukin-alpha (IL-1) stimulated B16 melanoma tumour growth in vivo, associated with increased intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expression on the tumour cells (Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed 1994; 10: 74-79, ).
  
  
  METHODS
  In the present study, we examined the effect of blocking IL-1 receptors - by addition of recombinant Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA) - on melanoma tumour growth in vivo and in vitro.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Subcutaneous co-injection of IL-1RA with B16 tumour cells into C57BL/6 mice, followed by injection of IL-1RA every second day reduced tumour growth significantly from day 18 to day 33 post-injection. Treatment with IL-1RA appeared to have a bi-phasic effect, low doses being more effective than dosed > 1 microgram/mouse. After 33 days, mice treated with 1.0 or 0.1 micrograms/2nd day had significantly smaller tumours than controls (p < 0.05), however, mice treated with 10 micrograms had tumours no different in size from those of untreated controls. However, survival of IL-RA-treated mice was not significantly different between treatment groups. Addition of IL-1RA to B16 cultures in vitro caused a small dose-dependent decrease in cell growth. Maximum inhibition (64% of control numbers) was observed after 48h in media containing > or = 10 ng/ml Il-1RA (p < 0.05). Using semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), we examined the expression of ICAM-1 message in B16 cells treated in culture with 10 ng/ml IL-1RA or 10 ng/ml IL-1 alpha for 6h or 24h. In IL-1-treated cultures ICAM-1 mRNA expression was increased to 161% of control levels. After 24h, ICAM-1 message was 198% control levels (p = 0.0008). Treatment with IL-1RA reduced the constitutive ICAM-1 expression to 75% of basal after 6h and to 68% of basal after 24h 9 (p = 0.011).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Abrogation of IL-1 activity, in combination with other systemic therapies may prove useful in the treatment of melanoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: McKenzie
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oran
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Dinarello
authors.forename: D N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Sauder
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D053590:Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein; D008546:Melanoma, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D017472:Receptors, Interleukin-1 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D012795:Sialoglycoproteins / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; C507763:IL1RN protein, human; C507764:Il1rn protein, mouse; D053590:Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D017472:Receptors, Interleukin-1; D012795:Sialoglycoproteins; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1