Taurolidine in the prevention and therapy of lung metastases.
OBJECTIVE
During surgery for colon carcinoma, tumour cells may spread into the blood and may lead to the development of distant metastases. The most frequent sites of metastases are the liver and lungs. A new therapeutic approach is required to prevent tumour implantation of freely circulating tumour cells during and after surgery and to treat established metastases. The aim of this prospective study was to observe the influence of long-term intravenous taurolidine on the development of lung metastases after intravenous injection of colon adenocarcinoma cells.


METHODS
Tumour cells (DHD/K12/TRb colon adenocarcinoma cell line, 1 x 10(6) cells) were injected into the right vena jugularis interna of BDIX rats. The animals (n=13) were randomised into three groups: group 1: tumour cell implantation without taurolidine application (control group); group 2: tumour cell implantation and simultaneous start of the taurolidine injection through osmotic pump, removal of the osmotic pump on day 7; group 3: tumour cell implantation on day 0 and start of the taurolidine injection through osmotic pump on day 14.


RESULTS
In the taurolidine groups, the number and size of lung metastases were significantly lower compared to the control group (p=0.018; p=0.018 and p=0.036; p=0.018). Although the results of the intravenous long-term therapy with taurolidine in group 2 did not reach statistical significance in comparison with the results of group 3, a positive trend was revealed: The mean number of metastases in group 2 was 18.2 versus 28.2 in group 3.


CONCLUSIONS
The application of taurolidine tends to prevent the development of lung metastases. Furthermore, taurolidine seems to reduce established lung metastases in this in vivo model. Taurolidine may offer additional therapeutic options in patients with colon adenocarcinoma.
Division of General Thoracic Surgery, University Hospital, Berne, Switzerland. beatrix.hoksch@insel.ch
Beatrix
B
Hoksch
Benjamin
B
Rufer
Amiq
A
Gazdhar
Murat
M
Bilici
Morris
M
Beshay
Matthias
M
Gugger
Ralph Alexander
RA
Schmid
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000556:secondary*; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000556:secondary*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D013654:Taurine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013829:Thiadiazines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D013829:Thiadiazines; D013654:Taurine; C012566:taurolidine