title: Antitumor effects of two bisdioxopiperazines against two experimental lung cancer models in vivo.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Probimane (Pro), an anti-cancer agent originating in China, was derived from razoxane (ICRF-159, Raz), a drug created in Britain, specifically targeting at cancer metastasis and as a cardioprotectant of anthrocyclines. Pro and Raz are bisdioxopiperazine compounds. In this work, we evaluated the anti-tumor and anti-metastatic effects of Pro and Raz in vivo against two lung tumor models, one of murine origin (Lewis lung carcinoma, LLC) and one of human origin (LAX-83).
  
  
  RESULTS
  After determining the lethal dosage of Pro and Raz, we assessed and compared the inhibitory effects of Pro and Raz against primary tumor growth and metastatic occurrences of LLC at the dosage of LD5. Pro and Raz were active against primary tumor growth and significantly inhibited pulmonary metastasis of LLC at same dose-ranges (inhibitory rates > 90 %). Both Raz and Pro were effective in 1, 5, and 9 day administration schedules. Three different schedules of Raz and Pro were effective against the primary tumor growth of LLC (35-50 %). The synergistic anticancer effect of Raz with bleomycin (Ble) (from 41.3 % to 73.3 %) was more obvious than those with daunorubicin (Dau) (from 33.1 % to 56.3 %) in the LLC tumor model. Pro was also seen to have synergistic anti-cancer effects with Ble in the LLC model. Both Raz and Pro inhibited the growth of LAX 83 in a statistically significant manner.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest that both Raz and Pro may have anti-tumor potentiality and Raz and Pro have combinative effects with Ble or Dau. The potential targets of bisdioxopiperazines may include lung cancers, especially on tumor metastasis. The anti-cancer effects of Raz and Pro can be increased with the help of other anticancer drugs.
authors.affiliation: Division of Anticancer Pharmacology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Shanghai Institutes of Biology Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, PR China. ludayong@sh163.net
authors.forename: Da-Yong
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ding
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018827:Carcinoma, Lewis Lung / Q000473:pathology; D002681:China; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D011929:Razoxane / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; C055262:probimane; D011929:Razoxane