[Relationship between anti-tumor effects of melphalan and IFN-gamma].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relationship between IFN-gamma and anti-tumor effects of melphalan in vivo.


METHODS
Different gene-type mice (IFN-gamma(+/+), IFN-gamma(+/-) and IFN-gamma(-/-)), which had the same genetic background of C57BL/6, were used in this experiment. Murine lymphoma EL4 cells were inoculated subcutaneously into different gene-type mice simultaneously. Twelve days later, 7.5 mg/kg melphalan was used intraperitoneally to treat all these IFN-gamma(+/+), IFN-gamma(+/-) and IFN-gamma(-/-) tumor-bearing mice. Tumor size was observed and recorded every one to three days in these different gene-type mice subsequently.


RESULTS
After melphalan (7.5 mg/kg) treatment, tumor size decreased at a similar rate in IFN-gamma(-/-), IFN-gamma(+/-) and IFN-gamma(+/+) mice within the first 3 d. Tumors shrank further or completely disappeared in most of IFN-gamma(+/-) and IFN-gamma(+/+) mice, whereas tumors grew gradually in all IFN-gamma(-/-) mice.


CONCLUSIONS
7.5 mg/kg melphalan has obvious anti-tumor effects on tumor-bearing IFN-gamma(+/+) and IFN-gamma(+/-) mice, but little effects on IFN-gamma(-/-) mice. These data suggest that IFN-gamma is required for the anti-tumor effects of melphalan on tumor-bearing mice in vivo.
Li
Mo-lin
ML
Pathophysiology Department of Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116027, China. molin_li@hotmail.com
Li
Chuan-gang
CG
Shu
Xiao-hong
XH
Jia
Yu-jie
YJ
Qin
Zhi-hai
ZH
D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D005838:Genotype; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism*; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008558:Melphalan / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D008558:Melphalan