title: O6-benzylguanine-mediated enhancement of nitrosourea activity in Mer- central nervous system tumor xenografts--implications for clinical trials.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the role of 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU) plus O6-benzylguanine (O6-BG) in the treatment of both Mer+ and Mer- tumors.
  
  
  METHODS
  The effect of pretreatment with O6-BG on the activity of BCNU against Mer- human central nervous tumor xenografts D-54 MG and D-245 MG was evaluated in athymic nude mice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  BCNU (1.0 LD10; dose lethal to 10% of treated animals) produced growth delays of 8.9 days and 7.5 days and tumor regressions in six of ten and one of nine animals against D-54 MG, which was derived from a human malignant glioma xenograft. Dose reduction of BCNU to 0.38 LD10 eliminated antitumor activity. The combination of BCNU (0.38 LD10) plus O6-BG produced growth delays of 8.8 days and 7.9 days, with tumor regressions in four of ten and two of nine animals, respectively. BCNU (1.0 LD10) produced a growth delay of 49.8 days and ten of ten tumor regressions against D-245 MG, which was derived from a glioblastoma multiforme. BCNU (0.38 LD10) produced a growth delay of 19.4 days, with nine of ten tumor regressions. The combination of BCNU (0.38 LD10) plus O6-BG produced a growth delay of 65.7 days and seven of eight tumor regressions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that the combination of BCNU plus O6-BG may be a rational intervention for both Mer+ as well as Mer- tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Duke University Medical Center, South Hospital, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Keir
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Dolan
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Pegg
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lawless
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Moschel
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Bigner
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Friedman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002330:Carmustine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016543:Central Nervous System Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006147:Guanine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D019853:O(6)-Methylguanine-DNA Methyltransferase / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; C064976:O(6)-benzylguanine; D006147:Guanine; D019853:O(6)-Methylguanine-DNA Methyltransferase; D002330:Carmustine