[Antitumoral effect of HSV-tk suicide gene associated with ganciclovir in an experimental model of head and neck epidermoid carcinoma].
BACKGROUND
We studied the transfection by adenoviral vectors and the antitumoral effect of HSV-tk gene associated with ganciclovir (AdCMVtk/GCV) in KB human oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma, in vitro and in vivo.


METHODS
Transfection was assessed by the X-gal stain. It was used in cell cultures and tumoral sections previously exposed to adenoviral vector AdCMVlacZ. In vitro, in order to study the antitumoral effect of AdCMVtk/GCV, survival of cell cultures exposed to AdCMVtk/GCV and to AdCMVlacZ/GCV was compared. In vivo, necrotic volume as a percentage of total tumoral volume, was compared between AdCMVtk/GCV treated group and AdCMVlacZ/GCV exposed group. Hepatic and renal toxicities were assessed.


RESULTS
In vitro, survival of cell cultures treated with AdCMVtk/GCV was less than AdCMVlacZ/GCV exposed cells. In vivo, necrotic volume was larger in AdCMVtk/GCV treated group than in AdCMVlacZ/GCV exposed group. No toxicity was found (hepatic, renal).


CONCLUSIONS
KB cells are transfected by adenoviral vectors and are killed by AdCMVtk/GCV, both in vitro and in vivo (no toxicity was found in the animal model).
Boleas Aguirre
M S
MS
Dept. de Otorrinolaringología, Clínica Universitaria de Navarra, Pío XII, 36, 31008 Pamplona. boleasag@teleline.es
Fernández González
S
S
Gallego Madrid
M A
MA
García-Tapia Urrutia
R
R
D000256:Adenoviridae / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000628:therapy*; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015774:Ganciclovir / Q000494:pharmacology; D015316:Genetic Therapy; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000235:genetics; D013997:Time Factors; D014162:Transfection; D014170:Transformation, Genetic; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D015774:Ganciclovir