title: Experimental study of the anticancer effect of gemcitabine combined with sirolimus on chemically induced urothelial lesions.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of a combination of gemcitabine and sirolimus in a mouse model of invasive bladder cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Gemcitabine (50 mg/kg) and sirolimus (1.5 mg/kg) were administered to animals previously exposed to N-butyl-N-4(hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine in drinking water. Tumour development was determined by histopathological evaluation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both drugs were well tolerated by animals. The incidence of lesions in mice treated with gemcitabine was lower in comparison to those not treated, however this result was not statistically significant. The incidence of invasive bladder cancer in animals treated with sirolimus was statistically lower (20%) than in animals not treated (54%) (p=0.008). The results indicate that this drug combination has no statistical significance on the development of pre-neoplastic urothelial lesions and had only a minor impact on invasive bladder cancer incidence in mice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The combination of gemcitabine and sirolimus had only a marginal impact on invasive bladder cancer in a mouse model.
authors: Agrarian School of Viseu, Polytechnic Institute of Viseu, Portugal.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Vasconcelos-Nóbrega
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Colaço
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Santos
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Vala
authors: L F
authors: LF
authors: Palomino
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Lopes
authors: P A
authors: PA
authors: Oliveira