POTENTIATION OF THE ANTI-TUMOR THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS OF 1,3-BIS(2-CHLOROETHYL)-1-NITROSOUREA BY ALPHA-DIFLUOROMETHYLORNITHINE, AN ORNITHINE DECARBOXYLASE INHIBITOR

  • 1 January 1981
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 41  (11) , 4426-4431
Abstract
.alpha.-Difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), an enzyme-activated irreversible inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase, was used alone and in combination with various single doses of 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU) to treat animals [rats and mice] bearing murine glioma 26 and rat 9L gliosarcoma intracerebral tumors. Used as a single agent, DFMO has little or no effect against these tumors. In both intracerebral tumor models, pretreatment with DFMO peros before i.p. administration of BCNU potentiates the effect of BCNU without increasing toxicity. The effects of DFMO administered peros after BCNU or before and after various doses of BCNU indicate that DFMO may also effectively slow the repopulation of these tumors after BCNU therapy.