title: Effect of gefitinib on N-nitrosamine-4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone induced lung tumorigenesis in A/J mice.
abstract: Gefitinib is an epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI). N-Nitrosamine-4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), a potent carcinogen found in tobacco smoke, induces lung tumors in A/J mice. NNK induces cellular transformation resulting in the over-expression of EGFR. Accordingly, EGFR may be a target for cancer prevention. In this study, we investigated the effect of gefitinib on NNK-induced tumorigenesis and the carcinogenicity of gefitinib in A/J mice. A total of 180 four-week-old female A/J mice were randomly divided into six groups: group 1 (controls), treated with deionized water; group 2, treated with 5 mg/kg p.o. gefitinib; group 3, treated with 50 mg/kg p.o. gefitinib (to test the carcinogenicity of gefitinib); group 4 (controls for NNK treatment), treated with deionized water; group 5, treated with 5 mg/kg p.o. gefitinib; and group 6, treated with 50 mg/kg p.o. gefitinib and injected with NNK once at 8 weeks of age to test the chemopreventive activity of gefitinib. Gefitinib was given once a day, 5 days a week by gavage, beginning at 4 weeks of age and continuing for 26 weeks. All mice were sacrificed at 30 weeks of age. The multiplicities of the NNK-induced lung tumors were significantly suppressed in a dose-dependent manner. Gefitinib had no effect on body weight at a low dose. The administration of gefitinib alone for 26 weeks did not induce tumorigenesis; instead, it significantly suppressed the incidence of spontaneous tumors in the mice, in contrast with other anti-cancer agents. Gefitinib did not induce lung fibrosis when compared with control mice by Azan-Mallory staining. Our results suggest that gefitinib has a weak but significant chemopreventive effect with no carcinogenicity or pulmonary toxicity in A/J mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Respiratory Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Daizo
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kishino
authors.forename: Katsuyuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kiura
authors.forename: Nagio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takigawa
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Katayama
authors.forename: Shoichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuyama
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Toshiaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: Kadoaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohashi
authors.forename: Mitsune
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanimoto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D002274:Carcinogens, Environmental / Q000633:toxicity; D048708:Cell Growth Processes / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D005260:Female; D000077156:Gefitinib; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D009602:Nitrosamines / Q000633:toxicity*; D011658:Pulmonary Fibrosis; D011799:Quinazolines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D012907:Smoking; D047368:Tumor Burden / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D002274:Carcinogens, Environmental; D009602:Nitrosamines; D011799:Quinazolines; C016583:4-(N-methyl-N-nitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D000077156:Gefitinib