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Biomedical subjects

T Corbett

Publications and source records attributed to T Corbett.

18 recordsLinked to original sources

Identification and antitumor activity of a reduction product in the murine metabolism of pyrazoloacridine (NSC-366140).

PURPOSE: Pyrazoloacridine (PZA) is a newly developed anticancer agent currently undergoing clinical trials. Its mode of action has not been elucidated but the presence in its chemical structure of a 5-nitro functional group and its activity against oxygen-deficient cancerous cells argue in favor of enzymatic nitro reduction as a possible pathway for its antitumor activity. In order to assess the involvement of the nitro functionality in PZA activity, as well as to determine other metabolic products, a pharmacological and chemical study of PZA was designed. METHODS: Urine and stool samples were collected from mice before and after treatment with PZA. Samples were fractionated using chromatographic methods and then evaluated using mass spectrometry (MS). One of the characterized metabolites was synthesized and tested in vitro and in vivo for anticancer activity. RESULTS: One major fraction from mouse stool was initially characterized by MS as the 5-aminopyrazoloacridine (5-APZ). This compound was chemically synthesized by catalytic hydrogenation of PZA was stabilized as the hydrochloride salt. 5-APZ was marginally cytotoxic in vitro and was inactive in vivo against a tumor cured by PZA (Panc 03). CONCLUSIONS: Bioreduction of the nitro group to an amine compound from PZA represents a pathway in the metabolic sequence of PZA. The inactivity of the chemically generated amine product does not provide conclusive evidence that this pathway is not involved in the cytotoxicity of PZA because other intermediates in the nitro reduction pathway may have a role in the activity of PZA. In particular, the hydroxylamine derivative of PZA could give answers to the involvement of this pathway in PZA cytotoxicity.

Acridines

Formulation and antitumor activity evaluation of nanocrystalline suspensions of poorly soluble anticancer drugs.

PURPOSE: Determine if wet milling technology could be used to formulate water insoluble antitumor agents as stabilized nanocrystalline drug suspensions that retain biological effectiveness following intravenous injection. METHODS: The versatility of the approach is demonstrated by evaluation of four poorly water soluble chemotherapeutic agents that exhibit diverse chemistries and mechanisms of action. The compounds selected were: piposulfan (alkylating agent), etoposide (topoisomerase II inhibitor), camptothecin (topoisomerase I inhibitor) and paclitaxel (antimitotic agent). The agents were wet milled as a 2% w/v solids suspension containing 1% w/v surfactant stabilizer using a low energy ball mill. The size, physical stability and efficacy of the nanocrystalline suspensions were evaluated. RESULTS: The data show the feasibility of formulating poorly water soluble anticancer agents as physically stable aqueous nanocrystalline suspensions. The suspensions are physically stable and efficacious following intravenous injection. CONCLUSIONS: Wet milling technology is a feasible approach for formulating poorly water soluble chemotherapeutic agents that may offer a number of advantages over a more classical approach.

Animals

Difluorodeoxycytidine (dFdC)--gemcitabine: a phase I study.

Difluorodeoxycytidine (dFdC) demonstrated broad spectrum activity in preclinical models. A phase 1 study utilizing twice weekly injections was conducted in 50 eligible and evaluable patients. Twenty-nine patients received drug by 30 minute infusion at doses of 5-90 mg/m2 and 22, by 5 minute bolus at 30-150 mg/m2. The primary dose limiting toxicities were marrow suppression and flu-like symptomatology. Thrombocytopenia was dose limiting at 75 mg/m2 on the infusion schedule and 150 mg/m2 on the 5 minute schedule. Flu-like symptoms with fever, rigors and malaise occurred the day of injection in many patients. One patient with renal cell carcinoma attained a partial response. Evaluation of the drug's efficacy and schedule dependency continue.

Adult

Evidence for a contribution of paramagnetic ions to water proton spin-lattice relaxation in normal and malignant mouse tissues.

Paramagnetic ions complexed to proteins may lose, retain, or enhance solvent paramagnetic relaxation (SPR) relative to free solution. We measured T1 and T2 of three mouse cancers, their normal counterparts, and six additional tissues. Long T1 of cancers was not caused by necrosis or by different contents of water, fat, or blood. Dissociable (TCA-extractable) and nondissociable (ashed) Mn, Cu, and Fe were measured by AA. Cancers had less Mn, Cu, and Fe than did normal counterparts. All 12 tissues had inverse correlations between T1 and dissociable Mn and Cu. For Mn alone to account for reduced T1, the extent to which SPR of the Mn-protein complexes would be enhanced is by factors of 0.6 to 13, below the maximum observed in Mn-enzymes. Different amounts of paramagnetic ion-protein complexes may account for part of the differences in T1 of water protons in different tissues, and the longer T1 of cancer cell water may be caused in part by reduced amounts of such complexes.

Animals

Discrepancy between cytotoxicity and DNA interstrand crosslinking of carboplatin and cisplatin in vivo.

We used the method of alkaline elution to compare quantitatively the DNA lesions produced by cisplatin and carboplatin in the AKR leukemia in vivo. These data were compared with cytotoxicity of each drug in the same animal model and in a solid tumor murine model (colon 26). DNA-protein and DNA-DNA interstrand crosslinks were formed in similar proportions by both drugs when peak values of crosslinking were compared. No clear difference in the rate of formation of both types of crosslinks could be observed between these drugs. On a molar basis a 3- to 4-fold more carboplatin had to be given to obtain equivalent frequencies of both types of crosslinks. In contrast, to obtain equitoxicity in the same animal tumor model, 13 fold higher doses of carboplatin had to be given. This difference in cytotoxicity between both drugs is comparable to the difference measured in colon 26 in vivo (16 fold). Both values are in the range of literature data (10-25 fold) dealing with the relative potency of cisplatin and carboplatin in murine tumor models.

Animals

Flavone acetic acid and plasma protein binding.

Both the capacity of healthy human, cancer patient, and mouse plasma proteins to bind flavone acetic acid (FAA) and the qualitative differences in the plasma protein-binding site were studied. The binding capacity of plasma proteins for FAA was saturated within the therapeutic range in both species. The binding of FAA to plasma protein was significantly greater in both healthy human and cancer patient plasma than in mouse plasma. Plasma from patients with cancer bound on the average less FAA than did healthy patient plasma. The concentration of albumin in the plasma varied between healthy humans, cancer patients, and mice, being 5.3 +/- 0.7, 4.7 +/- 0.8, and 3.9 +/- 0.3 g/100 ml, respectively. The protein binding of FAA was found to be dependent on the plasma albumin concentration, but albumin concentration alone was not adequate for the accurate prediction of the percentage of FAA protein bound. Scatchard plots indicated that healthy human plasma had a greater number of high-affinity binding sites than did mouse plasma. FAA binds at the indolebenzodiazepine binding area on albumin and can be displaced from this site by salicylic acid and clofibric acid, but only at supratherapeutic concentrations. Our results indicate that alterations in plasma albumin could contribute to a variable effect with FAA. Therefore, the influence of serum albumin concentration and the nonlinearity of FAA protein binding should be considered in assessment of the appropriateness of a dose schedule for FAA.

Animals

Interaction between flavone acetic acid (LM-975, NSC 349512) and radiation in Glasgow's osteogenic sarcoma in vivo.

Flavone acetic acid (FAA) is a new anticancer agent in Phase II trials in Europe. In preclinical testing FAA showed broad activity against murine solid tumors and minimal activity against murine leukemias. Our interest in studying the combination of FAA and radiation was based on two of its biological effects which might modify radiation damage. First, FAA depletes ATP and inhibits macromolecular synthesis which are needed to repair radiation-induced DNA strand breaks; and second, inhibition of tumor blood flow by FAA could lead to radiobiological hypoxia. Various schedules of FAA (170 mg/kg I.V.) (n = 9, SF = 0.44) and radiation (10 Gy) (n = 9, SF = 0.37) were investigated against s.c. implanted Glasgow osteogenic sarcoma. In the same model we studied both the kinetics of ATP depletion by 31P-Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and the repair of radiation induced single and double strand breaks by alkaline elution. The combined response was not significantly different from log-additive when radiation was given 24, 5 or 1 hr before FAA. When FAA was given immediately before radiation an increase in tumor response, significantly different from log-additive (p = 0.03) was observed. This enhancement disappeared when radiation was delayed for between 1 and 48 hr after FAA. While decreased ATP levels and increased response to radiation occurred within minutes after FAA administration, no effect of FAA at either 180 or 200 mg/kg was observed on the repair of radiation induced single or double strand breaks (10 and 50 Gy, respectively; 5 hr after FAA) in spite of significant ATP depletion in the tumors.

Adenosine Triphosphate

Early third trimester selective feticide of a compromising twin.

We report successful selective feticide of an anomalous, comprising twin by using intracardiac potassium chloride injection at 26 weeks gestation. This was associated with later delivery and survival of a very low birth weight infant with normal neurodevelopmental follow-up at 2 years. We suggest that selective feticide in such cases may have an important role to play in management.

Abnormalities, Multiple

Flow cytometric DNA analysis of colon adenocarcinomas: a comparative study of preparatory techniques.

DNA quantitation of solid tumors requires either nuclear extraction or disaggregation into single cells for flow cytometric (FCM) analysis. We investigated methods for disaggregating colon carcinomas comparing mechanical and enzymatic techniques in fresh tumors and compared these to extraction of nuclei from paraffin blocks. Mechanical dissociation resulted in the highest yield of tumor cells, especially tumor cells with abnormal DNA content. In addition, mechanically disaggregated intact cells, particularly when dual labeled with cytokeratin, produced optimum DNA histograms. Cytokeratin staining allowed gating on epithelial cell populations and excluded contaminating diploid inflammatory and stromal cells, improving our ability to calculate synthesis phase fractions (SpF). Human colon tumor nuclei extracted from paraffin-embedded tissue resulted in greater variation of DNA histograms and less sensitivity in identifying aneuploid cells compared to mechanically dissociated intact cells from fresh tumors. The quality of the histograms and the ability to identify aneuploid cell populations were improved by modifying the standard "Hedley" technique by additional enzyme incubation. Mechanical dissociation of fresh tumors was the preferred technique for FCM DNA analysis. Nuclear extraction from paraffin blocks resulted in some loss of sensitivity in identifying aneuploid cell lines and decreased ability to measure SpF.

Adenocarcinoma

A-ring substituted estrogens as inhibitors of the MXT transplantable mammary ductal carcinoma.

A-ring substituted estrogens have been examined as growth inhibitors of the hormone dependent MXT murine mammary tumor. Certain of these estrogen analogues inhibited the growth of newly implanted as well as established MXT tumors when administered either by s.c. or i.p. injections or by intubation. These compounds were nontoxic over a broad range of active levels. Amino and nitro groups, introduced at position-4 of estrone 3-methyl ether were particularly carcinostatic, a property not shared by 4-bromoestrone 3-methyl ether. In addition tumor inhibition was greatly diminished by placing the nitro group at the other ortho position (i.e., carbon-2). Evidence indicates that the A-ring substituted estrogens may function as growth inhibitors via the estrogen receptor mechanism in the case of 4-nitro- and 4-aminoestrone. The 3-methyl ethers of these compounds also blocked tumor growth, possibly through in vivo dealkylation leading to the free phenolic A-ring substituted estrogens. On the other hand, A-ring substituted 3-deoxyestrogens (particularly 4-nitro- and 4-aminoestratrien-17 beta-ol), which do not bind to receptor, were also excellent inhibitors of hormone dependent MXT breast tumors and therefore must express their activity by mechanisms other than that mediated by receptor. The A-ring substituted estrogens are unlike tamoxifen and diethylstilbestrol which (a) display toxicity at optimum inhibitory doses and (b) are inactive or marginally active in rodent breast cancer models.

Animals

Phase I trial of spiromustine (NSC 172112) and evaluation of toxicity and schedule in a murine model.

Phase I evaluation of spiromustine was performed using an every-3-week schedule and a weekly X 3 schedule. Neurotoxicity was the dose-limiting toxicity presenting as alterations in cortical integrative functions (orientation, language, coordination), leading to a decrease in the level of consciousness. Traditional criteria for grading neurotoxicity poorly characterized these toxicities. The maximum tolerated dose was 6 mg/m2 every 3 weeks and 3 mg/m2 weekly X 3. Concurrent murine studies confirmed spiromustine as a schedule independent drug with toxicity correlating with peak plasma levels. Physostigmine had little effect on decreasing neurotoxicity in the murine model. The solvating agent used was not responsible for the neurotoxicity. Injection of spiromustine on a split-dose schedule decreased the acute neurological toxicity in mice and allowed a larger total dosage to be delivered (compared to single bolus dosage). Based on these results a split-dose schedule is suggested for future clinical trials.

Animals

Solid tumor preparation for flow cytometry using a standard murine model.

The application of flow cytometry (FCM) to solid human tumors has been hindered by the difficulty in producing high yield, viable, unaltered single cell suspensions. Carcinomas containing a high desmosomal content, such as well-differentiated squamous cell (SCC) cancers of the head and neck (H&N) region, are particularly difficult to prepare. The desire to employ FCM to study cellular DNA parameters of these tumors led to the use of a 3-methylcholanthrene induced murine SCC for the comparative testing of preparative techniques. Dissociation techniques, including mechanical, enucleation, chemical, single and combination enzymes methods, were comparatively tested. Of these, the combination enzyme treatment employing trypsin and collagenase produced the highest cell yields in the shortest time with the highest dye exclusion viability and the least expense. Several fixation systems including glutaraldehyde, paraformaldehyde, acetic acid, and ethanol were comparatively tested using percent of cell loss and quality of the DNA histograms produced as end points. Ethanol-water systems with added fetal calf serum provided minimal cell loss and high quality histograms which were stable for extended periods of time. A murine tumor, closely mimicking the histology of the human tumor of interest, may be used as a model for the determination of optimum techniques of solid tumor preparation for flow cytometric analysis.

Animals

Flavone acetic acid (LM 975, NSC 347512). A novel antitumor agent.

Flavone acetic acid (FAA) is a synthetic flavonoid compound which has recently begun clinical trials as an antitumor agent based on its striking activity in solid tumor model systems. The pharmacologic behavior of FAA in animals appears to be predictive of both its cytotoxic efficacy and its toxicity to normal tissues (principally the central nervous system and gastrointestinal tract). The design and conduct of phase I studies in man are based upon these principles, with the goal of maximizing their safety and efficacy.

Animals

Correlations between anthracycline resistance, drug accumulation and membrane glycoprotein patterns in solid tumors of mice.

Both impaired drug accumulation and appearance of a new membrane glycoprotein species (mol. wt. approx. 180,000) are often associated with high levels of drug-induced resistance to a group of natural products which includes adriamycin (ADR) and daunorubicin (DNR). In this study, we examined solid murine mammary, pancreatic and colon tumors varying in degrees of inherent or (in vivo) induced adriamycin resistance. Neither impaired drug accumulation nor alterations in membrane glycoprotein patterns were correlated with drug resistance in these tumors. These results suggest that permeability and glycoprotein alterations may only be associated with very high degrees of drug resistance.

Animals

Surgical periodontal treatment in the radiotherapy-treated head and neck cancer patient.

A series of clinical cases is presented in which surgical periodontal therapy was conducted within the high-dose volume of prior radiation therapy. Close oral supervision is required in patients following head and neck radiation therapy. Non-surgical periodontal management is crucial in the care of these patients following radiation therapy. Careful selection of patients for possible surgical therapy and care in performing the procedure may allow successful periodontal management, as is demonstrated in the cases reviewed.

Adult