Dose of adenoviral vectors expressing interleukin-2 plays an important role in combined gene therapy with cytosine deaminase/5-fluorocytosine: preclinical consideration.

Using a syngeneic murine model, we investigated the therapeutic efficacy of combined gene therapy using adenoviral vectors expressing murine interleukin-2 (AdmIL-2) and Escherichia coli cytosine deaminase (AdCD). In a subcutaneous tumor model, tumor-bearing mice were treated with an intratumoral injection of adenoviral vectors and received an intraperitoneal administration of 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC). Only the mice treated with AdCD (2 x 10(8) pfu) and an intermediate dose of AdmIL-2 (1 x 10(6) pfu) survived significantly longer than mice treated with AdCD alone (P < 0.01). Moreover, 40% of these treated mice obtained complete remission from tumor-bearing status. The cytotoxicity of splenocytes obtained from the treated mice was related to the survival period. Tumor-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte assay showed that the cell-mediated cytotoxic response was specific for parental tumor cells. In a hepatic metastasis model, mice treated with an intravenous administration of both AdCD (2 x 10(8) pfu) and an intermediate dose of AdmIL-2 (1 x 10(6) pfu) demonstrated the most significant reduction of metastatic foci and the longest survival following a 5-FC administration. These results suggest that gene therapy combined with AdmIL-2 and AdCD may be a promising strategy for clinical application and, in addition, that translation of combined gene therapy from murine models into the clinical setting will require careful attention to the variables of cytokine expression levels in the design of clinical trials and in the evaluation of treatment efficacy.     

联合自杀基因与IL-2基因转移疗法的抗肿瘤效果及其抗肿瘤免疫应答的诱导作用

单用自杀基因疗法或单用细胞因子基因疗法抗肿瘤效果不理想,本研究中我们观察了大肠杆菌胞嘧啶脱胺酶(CD)基因与白细胞介素2(IL-2)基因联合转移对荷瘤小鼠的治疗效果及其对抗肿瘤免疫的诱导作用。复制荷瘤小鼠模型后在荷瘤部位注射表达CD基因的重组腺病毒(AdCD)及表达小鼠IL-2基因的重组腺病毒(AdIL2),并连续10天、每天1次腹腔注射5氟胞嘧啶(5FC)对荷瘤小鼠进行治疗。结果表明,AdCD/5FC/AdIL2联合基因治疗能显著抑制荷瘤小鼠皮下肿瘤的生长,并明显延长其生存期(P<0.01)。联合基因治疗组小鼠肿瘤细胞发生明显的坏死,瘤内及瘤周有大量的炎性细胞浸润,瘤内CD4~ 和CD8~ T细胞明显增加,脾细胞NK和CIL杀伤活性明显高于单用AdCD/5FC、对照病毒AdLacZ/5FC或PBS组。实验结果表明,联合应用自杀基因与细胞因子基因治疗可更有效诱导机体的抗肿瘤免疫反应,从而更显著地抑制荷瘤小鼠肿瘤的生长。     

Enhanced antitumoral effect of adenovirus-mediated cytosine deaminase gene therapy by induction of antigen-presenting cells through stem cell factor/granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor gene transfer

Suicide gene therapy has been studied intensively for the treatment of cancer. A limited antitumoral effect was obtained by intratumoral injection of adenovirus harboring Escherichia coli cytosine deaminase gene (AdCD) in tumor-bearing mice followed by continuous administration of 5-fluorocytosine (5FC). To address the drawbacks of the limited potential for the induction of antitumoral immunity by CD suicide gene therapy, we hypothesized that antigen-presenting cells (APCs) might contribute to the efficient induction of an antitumoral immune response in tumor-bearing mice undergoing suicide gene therapy. We preinjected the mice with murine stem cell factor (SCF)-encoding adenovirus (AdSCF) and murine granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF)-encoding adenovirus (AdGM-CSF); after 7 days, the mice were inoculated with CT26 colon adenocarcinoma. AdCD was injected intratumorally into tumor-bearing mice followed by 5FC administration. The results showed that AdSCF/AdGM-CSF treatment could increase the number, surface molecule expression, and function of APCs efficiently. A more significant growth inhibition of established tumors and a prolongation of the survival period were observed in tumor-bearing mice after AdSCF/AdGM-CSF pretreatment in combination with AdCD/5FC therapy when compared with mice treated with AdSCF or AdGM-CSF in combination with AdCD/5FC, or AdCD/5FC alone (P < .01). Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte activity was induced efficiently after the combined therapy, and mRNA of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-4, interferon-gamma, and interleukin-2 was present in the tumor mass after combined therapy, suggesting that a more potent antitumoral response was induced by enhanced APCs. Our results demonstrated that AdSCF/AdGM-CSF pretreatment could activate APCs, and that these APCs could present the tumor antigens released from AdCD/5FC-killed tumor cells and activate the antitumoral response of the host, thus increasing the therapeutic efficiency of suicide gene therapy.     

Anti-OX40 monoclonal antibody therapy in combination with radiotherapy results in therapeutic antitumor immunity to murine lung cancer

The therapeutic effect of agonistic anti-OX40 (CD134) monoclonal antibody (mAb) in combination with radiotherapy was evaluated in a murine lung cancer model. After intradermal transplantation of ovalbumin (OVA)-transfected Lewis lung carcinoma, C57BL/6 mice were irradiated locally with a single dose of 20 Gy in combination with an intratumoral injection of anti-OX40 mAb at 50 µg on day 4 after transplantation, which is when the major axis of the inoculated tumor reached a diameter of 7–9 mm. On days 8, 11, and 14, the tumor-bearing mice were further treated with the same dose of anti-OX40 mAb. Anti-OX40 mAb in combination with radiotherapy prolonged survival and provided greater efficacy than either single treatment against well-established tumors. An in vivo depletion study suggested that therapeutic immunity was mainly CD8⁺ T-cell dependent. OX40⁺CD8⁺ T cells were augmented in draining lymph nodes obtained from irradiated mice compared with those from non-irradiated mice. OVA-major histocompatibility complex tetramer⁺ CD8⁺ T cells had been strongly recruited to the draining lymph nodes obtained from mice treated with anti-OX40 mAb in combination with radiotherapy, and strong antigen-specific cytotoxicity was confirmed by a ⁵¹Cr-release assay. Moreover, a tumor-rechallenge model indicated that this combination therapy induced durable tumor immunity. Thus, anti-OX40 mAb in combination with radiotherapy may potentially help the management of patients with lung cancer. ( Cancer Sci 2008; 99: 361–367)     

Endogenous Tumor Necrosis Factor Induction with Bordetella pertussis Vaccine as a Triggering Agent and Its Therapeutic Effect on MM46 Carcinoma-bearing Mice

Induction of endogenous tumor necrosis factor (TNF) by administration of Bordetella pertussis vaccine (BPV) as a triggering agent and its therapeutic effect against MM46 carcinoma were investigated in C3H/He mice. Test triggering agents were injected intravenously into mice after intravenous injection of 4-fold dilution of macrophage activating factor (MAF) or 10⁴ units of murine interferon-γ (Mu-IFN-γ). Then sera were obtained from the mice, and their TNF activities were assayed on L-929 cells by the method of Ruff and Gifford. The triggering activity of BPV was the highest among those of conventional triggers, such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Escherichia coli , and OK-432. The levels of serum TNF activity triggered by BPV (4 × 10⁹ cells), LPS of E. coli (3 μg) and OK-432 (3 KE) were 5350, 85 and 102 units/ml, respectively. Growth of MM46, a spontaneous mammary carcinoma cell line of C3H/He was observed for 35 days after tumor inoculation and was suppressed significantly by intravenous injection of MAF and BPV (4 × 10⁹ cells). On local injection of BPV (2 × 10⁹ cells) into murine tumors, complete regression was observed in 67% of the mice tested with or without MAF priming on day 25 after tumor inoculation, and intratumoral TNF activity was observed even in the case of the single injection of BPV.     

Changes in Lymphocyte Subsets Following Multiple Administration of Recombinant Interleukin-2 plus Recombinant Interferon-beta or -gamma in Tumor-bearing Mice

Treatment with a combination of recombinant human interleukin-2 (rHIL-2) and recombinant mouse interferon-beta (rIFN-β) or -gamma (rIFN-γ) showed a significant antitumor effect against sc adenocarcinoma 755 in mice, although treatment with either one alone had almost no effect. The combination of rHIL-2 and rIFN-β caused regression of the tumor but the combination of rHIL-2 and rIFN-γ did not. Injection of tumor-bearing mice with the combinations of rHIL-2 and rIFN resulted in marked increases in the total number of peritoneal lymphocytes, and the frequency of Lyt-2⁺ cells was more markedly increased by the combination of rHIL-2 and rIFN-β than by the combination of rHIL-2 and rIFN-γ. In Winn assay, elimination of the Lyt-2⁺ population abolished the protective capacity of the peritoneal cells. The subsets of thymocytes were drastically changed when mice were bearing a tumor or were treated with cytokines. In particular, Lyt-2⁺/L3T4⁺ cells were decreased in tumor-bearing mice, but many Lyt-2⁺/L3T4⁺ cells were maintained in the thymus by treatment with a cytokine alone. When treated with rHIL-2 and rIFN-β the Lyt-2⁺/L3T4⁺ cells were markedly decreased, while Lyt-2^-/L3T4^- T-cells were increased, but these subsets were little changed by treatment with rHIL-2 plus rIFN-γ. Thus, injections of rHIL-2 and rIFN-β into tumor-bearing mice resulted in a high frequency of Lyt-2⁺/L3T4^- cells in the peritoneal cavity, together with changes in the T-cell subsets in the thymus. These results suggest that maturation of T-cells in the thymus may be an important step in the pathway by which cytokine treatment brings about regression of tumors.     

Epidermal Growth Factor Prolongs Survival Time of Tumor-bearing Mice

We observed that human epidermal growth factor (hEGF) alone prolonged the survival time of mice bearing various murine syngeneic tumors as well as athymic nude mice bearing human xenografts. No changes in the subcutaneous solid tumor mass volume were observed. Prolongation of survival time by hEGF was observed in mice bearing murine epidermoid carcinoma (BSC) and human gastric carcinoma (KATO III), but not in murine epidermoid carcinoma (KLN205) or human epidermoid carcinoma (A431). Human tumor cells such as A431, KATO III, and murine tumor cells, KLN205, BSC had roughly 2 × 10⁶, 3 × 10⁴, 1.3 × 10³ and 1 × 10³ EGF receptors/cell, respectively. Although KLN205 and BSC tumor cells maintained nearly the same number of EGF receptors, the effects of hEGF were very different. Although A431 tumor cells had nearly 100 times more receptors than KATO III cells, the prolongation of survival time of mice bearing A431 by hEGF was no better than that of mice bearing KATO III. Accordingly, it appears that this prolongation of survival time by hEGF is independent of the number of EGF receptors on tumor cells. In addition, hEGF was shown to inhibit experimental pulmonary metastasis of murine BSC tumor, but was ineffective with murine KLN205 tumor. These results suggest that prolongation of survival time by hEGF may result from the inhibition of tumor cell metastasis and EGF may play a role in preventing the metastasis of certain malignant neoplasms unrelated to its effects through the EGF receptor on tumor cells.     

Selective Suppression of the Generation of Anti-tumor L3T4+ but Not of Lyt-2+ T Cell-mediated Immunity in the Tumor-hearing State

C3H/He mice hyperimmune against syngeneic MH134 hepatoma were prepared by intradermal (id) inoculation of viable tumor cells followed by surgical resection of the tumor and by repeated id challenges with viable tumor cells. Winn assays performed utilizing spleen cells from these mice have revealed that both Lyt-2⁺ and L3T4⁺ T cell subsets from MH134-hyperimmune mice produced complete tumor protection. The in vivo tumor-neutralizing activity was also found in spleen cells from tumor-bearing mice at various times after id implantation of MH134 tumor cells. However, in contrast to comparable tumor-neutralization by Lyt-2⁺ and L3T4⁺ T subsets from hyperimmune mice, only the Lyt-2⁺ T cell subset from tumor-bearing mice was capable of mediating the in vivo protective immunity. L3T4⁺ T cell-mediated immunity was not detectable in the tumor-bearing state irrespective of the length of the sensitization period with a primary growing tumor, but emerged in the mice which resisted the first tumor challenge after the resection of the primary tumor. These results indicate that the emergence of L3T4⁺ T cell-mediated anti-tumor immunity is stage-dependent and the Lyt-2⁺ T cells represent the main functional subset in the tumor-bearing state, although both subsets of T cells are potentially capable of effecting anti-tumor in vivo immunity. The results are discussed in relation to the selective suppression of the L3T4⁺ but not of Lyt-2⁺ T cell function in the tumor-hearing state.     

Chemosensitivity of peritoneal micrometastases as evaluated using a green fluorescence protein (GFP)-tagged human gastric cancer cell line

The Chemosensitivity of micrometastases in the peritoneal cavity to a 5-fluorouracil derivative (TS-1) was examined with a micrometastasis model featuring a human gastric cancer cell line tagged with the green fluorescence protein ( GFP ) gene in nude mice. Peritoneal metastases on the omentum and mesentery could be specifically visualized even when minute or dormant and also externally monitored noninvasively under illumination with blue light from 1 day after intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of tumor cells. Metastatic deposits formed after i.p. injection of 2×10⁶ tumor cells were significantly reduced by TS-1 in a dose-dependent manner (15–20 mg/kg), when it was orally administered from day 1 post-injection for 4 weeks (early administration). No such inhibition was evident after injection of 1×10⁷ tumor cells. When 2×10⁶ tumor cells given injection, the ascites-free period in TS-1-treated mice was significantly longer than in their untreated counterparts. Survival of TS-1-treated mice (5/15) was also significantly higher than the zero rate in controls (0/15), with 4 out of 5 surviving mice being free from peritoneal metastasis and the exception having only a few dormant metastases. In contrast, when TS-1 was administered starting from day 7 post-injection for 4 weeks (late administration), the survival and ascites-free period of the TS-1-treated mice were not significantly influenced. The results indicate that the Chemosensitivity of peritoneal metastases to TS-1 is dependent on the number of i.p. tumor cells and the timing of drug administration. Peritoneal micrometastases at an early stage are most susceptible and can be effectively eliminated by oral administration of an anti-cancer agent, which leads to the longer survival and better quality of life (QOL) of the mice. (Cancer Sci 2003; 94: 112–118)     

Enhancement of Blood Stasis and Vascular Permeability in Meth-A Tumors by Administration of Hyperthermia in Combination with Tumor Necrosis Factor

Blood stasis and vascular permeability induced by tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in Meth-A tumors transplanted in BALB/c mice were significantly enhanced by hyperthermia at 40°C for 30 min immediately following TNF administration. A dose-dependent, sustained decline in the intratumoral blood flow rate occurred following the administration of TNF alone (i.v.; 5 × 10³, 5 × 10⁴, or 5 × 10⁵ JRU/kg) and was enhanced by the administration of hyperthermia in combination with the TNF, even though no decline occurred with hyperthermia alone. The combination of TNF at 5 × 10⁵ JRU/kg and hyperthermia resulted in a blood flow ratio (ratio of blood flow after administration to that before) of 0.47 at 1 h compared with a ratio of 0.65 at 1 h after TNF alone. The blood flow in normal skin sites did not decrease in any case. The permeability of the intratumoral vasculature similarly increased in a dose-dependent manner after the administration of TNF alone and was further increased by combination with hyperthermia, even though no increase occurred with hyperthermia alone. The mean permeability in mice receiving TNF alone at 5 × 10⁵ JRU/kg was 1.35 times that in untreated mice. In mice receiving TNF at the same dose together with hyperthermia, the ratio was increased to 1.65. The results suggest that TNF selectively suppresses intratumoral blood flow, that this effect is enhanced by mild hyperthermia, and that the mechanism of the suppression by TNF with or without hyperthermia partly involves an increase in blood vessel permeability.     

Lysosome Labilizers Potentiate the Antitumor Effects of Tumor Necrosis Factor-α

Enhancement of in vitro cytotoxic activity of tumor necrosis factor- α (TNF- α ) was observfed in combination with lysosome labilizers, particularly with urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA), tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) and lipoprotein lipase (LPL). The concentration of TNF- α resulting in 50% cytotoxicity to L929 cells was only 20–30% of the value for TNF- α alone, when used in combination with a nontoxic dose of u-PA, t-PA or LPL. Furthermore, combined intravenous (i.v.) administration of TNF- α (3.5 × 10⁵ U/mouse) and u-PA (300 IU/mouse) markedly increased the in vivo antitumor activity of TNF- α to Meth A tumors transplanted into BALB/c mice; the tumor weight in co-administered mice was about 40% of that in mice given TNF- α alone on day 6. The combination therapy of TNF- α (7.0 × 10⁴ U/mouse, i.v.) and u-PA (300 IU/mouse, i.v.) was also effective for L929 tumors in Crj:CD-1(1CR)-nu nude mice compared with the conventional therapy with TNF- α alone. These results suggest that the combination of TNF- α and lysosome labilizers is a promising antitumor therapeutic regimen with clinical potential.     

Effect of Recombinant Human Interleukin 2 on the Growth of a BALB/c Sarcoma Induced by Moloney Murine Sarcoma Virus

The effect of in vivo administration of recombinant interleukin 2 (rIL2) on the growth of a primary female BALB/c sarcoma induced by Moloney marine sarcoma virus (M-MSV) was studied. Although low-dose administration of (6,000 JU/mouse × 14 days) rIL2 had no effect on the growth of the tumors, high-dose (15,000–80,000 JU/mouse × 14 days) intraperitoneal inoculation of rIL2 induced tumor regression, dose-dependently. Tumors in mice which received 80,000 JU/mouse/day of rIL2 regressed completely 2 weeks after the initiation of treatment. The survival rates of the treated groups were significantly higher than those of the control group. A time course experiment disclosed that the effect of rIL2 was restricted only to the group in which rIL2 treatment started 8 days after the inoculation of M-MSV. The cytotoxic activity of regional lymph node lymphocytes from rIL2-treated mice was demonstrated against primary culture of M-MSV-induced sarcoma but not against syngeneic tumor induced by methylcholanthrene (Meth A). The effect of rIL2 was partially blocked by the administration of anti-IL2 receptor antibody. Immunohistochemical examination revealed that infiltration of Thy1.2⁺Lyt1⁺2^- (helper/inducer subset) lymphocytes into the tumor tissue was prominent in mice which received high-dose rIL2. The results indicated that IL2 induced regression of M-MSV-induced sarcoma mainly through activation of IL2-receptor-positive helper T cells in the tumor tissues and of killer cells in the draining lymph nodes.     

Activation of Intestinal Mucosal Immunity in Tumor-bearing Mice by Lactoferrin

We have previously demonstrated that oral administration of bovine lactoferrin (bLF) markedly increases CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells and NK (asialoGM1⁺) cells in the blood of tumor-bearing mice and enhances anti-metastatic activity. In this paper, we document that oral administration of bLF and bLF-hydrolysate (bLFH) is associated with strong increases in CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T, as well as asialoGM1⁺ cells in lymphoid tissues and lamina propria of the small intestine in mice, especially in tumor-bearing animals in which Co26Lu cells were implanted subcutaneously. Moreover, IgM⁺ and IgA⁺ B cells in lamina propria of the small intestine were also significantly increased by bLF and bLFH. Bovine apo-transferrin (bTF) did not exhibit such activity. In the colon, only CD8⁺ cells were significantly increased by treatment with bLF, while asialoGM1⁺ cells were significantly decreased. bLF and bLFH induced cytokines to activate T, B and asialoGM1⁺ cells. Administration of bLF and bLFH, but not bTF, increased production of interleukin-18 (IL-18), interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and caspase-1 in the mucosa of the small intestine. Particularly high levels of IL-18 were found in the epithelial cells of the small intestine. Moreover, administration of bLF and bLFH, but not bTF, induced IFN-γ presenting cells in the small intestine. Caspase-1, which processes proIL-18 to mature IL-18, was also induced in the epithelial cells of the small intestine following treatment with bLF and bLFH, but not with bTF. These results suggest that enhanced production of IL-18 and IFN-γ and caspase-1 induction by treatment with bLF may be important for elevation of intestinal mucosal immunity.     

The Changing Pattern of the Splenic Lymphocyte Subsets in Tumor-bearing Mice after Oral Treatment with OK-432

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of oral administration of OK-432 on the tumor growth of tumor-bearing mice. In addition, the changing pattern of the splenic lymphocyte subsets of tumor-bearing mice was evaluated by flow cytometry. OK-432 at a dose of 0.1, 1 or 10 KE was administered orally every 3 days or every other day for 30 days to subcutaneously Meth A tumor-inoculated mice. The tumor growth was significantly inhibited in the 1 KE every 3 days group, in the 1 KE every other day group and in the 10 KE every 3 days group. In the 10 KE every other day group, OK-432 inhibited the tumor growth on days 10 and 20, while the agent did not show a marked inhibitory effect on day 30. The percentages of splenic L₃T₄-positive cells and splenic asialo GM₁-positive cells were significantly increased in the 1 KE every other day group, while the Lyt2⁺/ Thyl.2⁺ratio was decreased. On the other hand, in the 10 KE every other day group, OK-432 showed no effect on the percentages of splenic L₃T₄-positive cells and Lyt2⁺/Thyl.2⁺ratio on days 20 and 30. Our results suggest that the antitumor effect of oral administration of OK-432 may be correlated with the changing pattern of L₃T₄-positive cells and Lyt2⁺/Thyl.2⁺ratio.     

Binding Characteristics of (–)-(R)-2-Aminomethylpyrrolidine(1,1-cyclobutanedi-carboxylato)-2-platinum(II) to DNA, RNA and Protein Molecules in HeLa Cells and Its Lethal Effect: Comparison with cis- and trans-Diammmedichloroplatinums(II)

HeLa S-3 cells were treated with ^195mPt-radiolabeled (–)-(R)-2-aminomethylpyrrolidine(1,1-cyclobutanedicarboxylato)-2-platinum(II) (DWA2114R) under various conditions, and the relationship between the lethal effect of the agent and the number of platinum (Pt) atoms binding to DNA, RNA and proteins was examined. The values of mean lethal concentration for the cells treated with DWA2114 at 37°C for 1, 2 and 3 h were 137.3, 75.10 and 51.17 μM , respectively. Cells were treated identically and the numbers of Pt atoms combined with DNA, RNA and protein molecules were determined after fractionation of the cells. In this way, the D₀ values (D₀, dose that would give an average of one lethal event per member of the population), expressed as the drug concentration, were substituted for the number of Pt atoms combined with each fraction. The target volumes, the efficacy of Pt atom to kill cells expressed as the reciprocals of the D₀ values, were then calculated for each fraction. Our findings suggested that DNA was the primary target molecule for cell killing by DWA-2114R. The target volumes for DNA were 3.36 × 10⁴, 4.00 × 10⁴ and 4.10 × 10⁴ nucleotides for 1-, 2-and 3-h treated cells, respectively. The cell-killing effects of DWA2114R were lower than those of cis -dianuninedichloroplatinum(II) (CDDP) by factors of 1.54, 1.42 and 2.51 for 1-, 2- and 3-h treatments at 37°C, respectively, in terms of the target volume, while those in terms of the mean lethal dose (D₀) were 14.8, 11.2 and 16.0, respectively. The efficacy of DWA2114R in killing the cells was 2.6 times greater than that of CDDP in the 3-h treatment at 0°C.     

The Number of Platinum Atoms Binding to DNA, RNA and Protein Molecules of HeLa Cells Treated with Cisplatin at Its Mean Lethal Concentration

HeLa S-3 cells were treated with ^195mPt-radiolabeled cis -diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (CDDP) under various conditions, and the relationship between lethal effect and the number of Pt atoms binding to DNA, RNA and proteins was examined. The mean lethal concentrations for the cells treated with CDDP at 37°C for 1, 2 and 3 h were 2.8, 2.0 and 1.1 μg/ml, respectively. By using identically treated cells, the number of Pt atoms combined with DNA, RNA and protein molecules were determined after fractionation of the cells using the method of Schneider. In this way, the Do values given as the drug concentration were substituted for the number of Pt atoms combined with each fraction, then the target volumes expressed as the reciprocals of Do values were calculated for each fraction. The results provide strong support for the idea that DNA is the primary target for cell killing by CDDP, and the target volumes were 5.17 × 10⁴, 5.71 × 10⁴ and 1.03 × 10⁴ nucleotides for 1, 2 and 3 h treated cells, respectively.     

Effect of Human Macrophage Colony-stimulating Factor on Granulopoiesis and Survival in Bone-marrow-transplanted Mice

Human macrophage colony-stimulating factor (hM-CSF) has been isolated from normal human urine and purified to a homogenous protein. The effect of hM-CSF on granulopoiesis was investigated in BALB/c mice transplanted with a suboptimal number of bone marrow cells. Lethally irradiated (7.8 Gy) mice were transplanted with 1 × 10⁶ syngeneic mouse bone marrow cells and treated with a daily intraperitoneal dose of 64 μg/kg of hM-CSF for 5 days following the transplant. The hM-CSF injection resulted in stimulation of the recovery of blood neutrophils as well as an increase in the number of granulocyte-macrophage progenitor cells (CFU-GM) in the femur and spleen. The survival of lethally irradiated mice was dependent on the cell number transplanted; most mice transplanted with 2 × 10⁴ cells died within 2 weeks. The recovery of hematopoiesis in mice transplanted with 2 × 10⁴ cells was modestly but significantly stimulated by hM-CSF administration initiated from 5 days before or 1 day after transplantation for a 5-day period. Furthermore, the hM-CSF administrations markedly reduced the mortality in these mice during the early period after the transplantation. Since anaerobic bacteria were frequently detected in arterial blood immediately before the deaths but were not found in the surviving mice, it is speculated that early deaths occurring within 2 weeks after the transplant may be caused by opportunistic infections, and hM-CSF injection may prevent these mortal infections through its stimulating effect on monocyte-macrophage functions that are responsible for the production of hematopoietic regulators.     

Biological Effectiveness of Fractionated Dose of Pions in Microscopic SCCVII Tumors: Comparison between Tumor Control Dose and Tumor Growth Time Assays

The relative biological effectiveness (RBE) of fractionated pions for tumor growth time (TGT) assay changes with the endpoints, so it is essential to determine the RBE for tumor control dose (TCD) assay. For this purpose, the TCD⁵⁰ of fractionated pions was compared with that of photons, and the RBEs for TGT and TCD assays were concurrently compared as a function of the effect level. A "convenient" RBE (cRBE) was substituted for the RBE when the comparison was made between similar fractionation schedules with different dose per fraction. SCCVII tumors (2 ×10⁴ or 2 × 10⁵ cells) were implanted into the feet of C3H mice and irradiated starting from 2 days after implantation at a total dose range of either 9.6–38.4 Gy pions (2.4–6.4 Gy per fraction) or 14.4–50.4 Gy photons (3.6–7.2 Gy per fraction) in 2–10 fractions over 5–6 days. The cRBE and the RBE at the iso-effective level of 30 days TGT were 1.53–1.60 for 2.4–4.8 Gy pions and 1.50 for 4-fracrionated pions, respectively: there were only small differences within these schedules used. However, the cRBE values decreased from 1.60 to 1.15 with increasing TGT from 30 to 75 days. In contrast, the cRBE values for TCD⁵⁰ increased from 1.08 to 1.40 (95% confidence limits [CL]; 1.18–1.63) with increasing evaluation time from 60 to 100 days: pions significantly inhibited late tumor appearance. The TCD⁵⁰ at 100 days was 28.7 Gy (CL; 25.0–32.5 Gy) for pions and 40.3 Gy (CL; 36.3–44.2 Gy) for photons. In conclusion, the RBE for TCD⁵⁰ was not predictable from the RBE for TGT assay. The cRBE value of 1.4 for microscopic tumor control was in close agreement with the reported values for skin reaction.     

Murine Liver Metastasis Model Using L5178Y-ML Lymphoma and the Effect of Antitumor Agents on the Metastasis

A reproducible tumor model for liver metastasis has been developed from murine L5178Y lymphoma line by sequential cycles of subcutaneous inoculation of liver tumor cells, that were originally generated in livers of female (BALB/c × DBA/2)F₁ mice by injecting the parental cells into the tail vein. This variant (L5178Y-ML) metastasized predominantly to the liver after intravenous or subcutaneous injection. The livers of the animals killed 9 days after intravenous implantation of 5 × 10⁵ tumor cells were about 3 times the weight of control livers. All tumor-bearing mice died 10 to 12 days after inoculation. Subcutaneous implantation of L5178Y-ML in the side flank of mice induced metastatic nodules spontaneously in the livers. The tumor cells proliferated more in livers than in the implanted sites, compared with the parental L5178Y cells. The effects of 5-fluorouracil, mitomycin C, cis -platinum and doxorubicin on the liver metastasis of L5178Y-ML were examined at subtoxic doses; 5-fluorouracil was the most effective in both inhibiting the tumor growth in livers and prolonging the survival period of mice. This model provides a useful tool for the experimental therapy of hepatic tumors in mice.     

Japanese phase II study of 90Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan in patients with relapsed or refractory indolent B-cell lymphoma

There is no data about the efficacy and safety of radioimmunotherapy with ⁹⁰Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan in patients with relapsed or refractory indolent B-cell lymphoma pretreated with rituximab-containing chemotherapy. We focused on this in a Japanese phase II study. Radioimmunotherapy with ⁹⁰Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan (11.1 and 14.8 MBq) was evaluated in patients with 100–149 × 10⁹ and >150 × 10⁹ platelets/L, respectively. The primary endpoint was the overall response rate. Forty patients were treated with ⁹⁰Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan (18 with 11.1 MBq/kg and 22 with 14.8 MBq/kg). Thirty-five patients (88%) had been pretreated with rituximab, including 27 (68%) pretreated with rituximab-containing chemotherapy. The overall response rate was 83% (33/40; 95% confidence interval, 67–93%), and the complete response rate was 68% (27/40; 95% confidence interval, 51–81%). The overall response rates in patients pretreated with rituximab-containing chemotherapy and rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) were 83% (19/23) and 94% (17/18), respectively. The median progression-free survival time of the 40 patients who received ⁹⁰Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan was 9.6 months. Toxicity was primarily hematological and mostly transient. No grade 4 non-hematological toxicity was observed. In conclusion, radioimmunotherapy with ⁹⁰Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan is safe and highly effective in patients with relapsed or refractory indolent B-cell lymphoma, including those pretreated with rituximab-containing chemotherapy. (ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT00220285) ( Cancer Sci 2009; 100: 158–164)