Toxicity and antitumor activity of the vitamin D analogs PRI-1906 and PRI-1907 in combined treatment with cyclophosphamide in a mouse mammary cancer model

PURPOSE: Active and less toxic vitamin D analogs could be useful for clinical applications. In the present study, we evaluated the toxicity and antitumor effect of two new synthetic analogs of vitamin D, namely PRI-1906 [(24E)-24a-Homo-(1S)-1,25-dihydroxyergocalciferol] and its side-chain unsaturated homo analog PRI-1907. METHODS: The toxicity and calcemic activity, as well as antitumor effect of calcitriol analogs was investigated in vivo. The studies were performed in a mouse mammary 16/C cancer model. Since calcitriol and its analogs inhibited 16/C tumor growth only slightly, we applied them in the combined therapy with cyclophosphamide (CY). Moreover, cell cycle analysis and VDR and p27 expression were investigated. RESULTS: The LD(50 )values after five daily subcutaneous (s.c.) injections were 7.8, 10.0 and 2.4 mug/kg per day for calcitriol, PRI-1906 and PRI-1907, respectively. The serum calcium level increased to 40, 23 and 63% over the control for these compounds. We also compare the antitumor activity of the PRI-1906 with the calcitriol and previously studied PRI-2191 (1,24-dihydroxyvitamin D(3), tacalcitol). Statistically significant inhibition of tumor growth by calcitriol up to the eighth day was observed in all schedules applied. PRI-1906 inhibited the tumor growth at doses 1 and 5 mug/kg per day, and PRI-2191 only at the dose 5 mug/kg per day. CONCLUSION: Addition of vitamin D analogs increased the antitumor effect of CY. PRI-1906 exhibited toxicity higher than PRI-2191 but lower than calcitriol and antitumor activity similar to both PRI-2191 and calcitriol. This new analog seems to be a good candidate for the combined treatment of mammary cancer.