Chemotherapeutic choice of ranimustine or nimustine on the basis of regional polyamine levels in rat brain.

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to improve the chemotherapeutic efficacy of anticancer drugs by choosing on the basis of the polyamine level induced by the drug in each host cancer-bearing tissue. We propose an "organ-specific therapy" in the article. The polyamines, putrescine, spermidine and spermine are strongly associated with tumor cell growth. The effects of ranimustine (MCNU) and nimustine (ACNU) on body weight, regional brain weights and concentrations of putrescine, spermidine and spermine in the cerebellum, hippocampus, corpus striatum, cortex, combined thalamus and hypothalamus and diencephalon of the brain were examined in rats. MCNU and ACNU reduced spermidine and spermine in the corpus striatum, and spermine in the diencephalon, but increased putrescine in the corpus striatum and combined thalamus and hypothalamus. These results indicate that both MCNU and ACNU are suitable for the treatment of cancers of the corpus striatum, but ACNU is not suitable for cancers of the corpus striatum, thalamus and hypothalamus.

• Authors: S Watanabe, S Sato, S Nagase, S Ohkuma
• Journal: Methods and findings in experimental and clinical pharmacology (Methods Find Exp Clin Pharmacol) Vol. 30 Issue 2 Pg. 115-20 (Mar 2008) ISSN: 0379-0355 [Print] Spain
• PMID: 18560626 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright 2008 Prous Science, S.A.U. or its licensors. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Antineoplastic Agents
• Biogenic Polyamines
• Nitrosourea Compounds
• Nimustine
• ranimustine

Topics

• Animals
• Antineoplastic Agents (pharmacology)
• Biogenic Polyamines (analysis)
• Brain Chemistry (drug effects)
• Male
• Nimustine (pharmacology)
• Nitrosourea Compounds (pharmacology)
• Rats
• Rats, Sprague-Dawley