TREATMENT OF 5 SUBCUTANEOUS HUMAN GLIOMA TUMOR LINES IN ATHYMIC MICE WITH CARMUSTINE, PROCARBAZINE, AND MITHRAMYCIN

  • 1 January 1983
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 67  (9) , 811-819
Abstract
Five human glioma tumor lines were transplanted subcutaneously in athymic nude mice. Three of the lines (D-54 MG, U-118 MG and U-251 MG) were derived from permanent human glioma cell lines; the other 2 lines (N-456 and N-519) were established as direct xenografts in mice. Growth rates varied among the lines, but all were treated at a common average tumor volume of 200-300 mm3. Three drugs of known clinical activity against human anaplastic glial tumors were tested in this system. Procarbazine (PCB) produced significant responses in all 5 tumor lines, carmustine produced significant growth delays in 2, and mithramycin produced a slight growth delay in only one. A carmustine-PCB combination produced a greater therapeutic effect than either agent alone against D-54 MG, but the combination was no more effective than PCB alone against U-118 MG. These results parallel clinical experience and indicate that this is a useful model for testing agents of potential activity in brain tumor therapy.