title: Efficacy of single-bolus vs. frequent low-dose treatment with nitrosourea in experimental gliomas.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Malignant glioma remains a fatal disease. Continuous or frequent low-dose (FLD) chemotherapy with nitrosoureas reportedly causes fewer side-effects than single-bolus therapy without decreasing the antitumour effects.
  
  
  METHODS
  To study the effect of FLD treatment with nimustine (ACNU) in rats with glioma, we intracerebrally inoculated with C6 glioma cells. We began the ACNU treatment 5 or 8 days later (total dose, 25 or 40 mg/kg) i.p. as either one bolus or smaller doses spread over 5 days week.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At a total dose of 25 mg/kg beginning at day 8, survival duration did not differ between untreated controls and the FLD group, while the bolus significantly prolonged survival; the FLD group showed some improvement beyond control survival at 40 mg/kg (each p <0.001). Beginning treatment after 5 rather than 8 days prolonged survival somewhat further.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FLD treatment with ACNU is less effective against experimental glioma in rats than bolus treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Japan.
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Inamura
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ikezaki
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nakamizo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Inoha
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yaosaka
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fukui
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005910:Glioma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D015376:Nimustine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D015376:Nimustine