The efficacy of
heparin (HEP), the
heparin analogue
hexuronyl hexosaminoglycan sulfate (HHS), and
hydrocortisone (HC) was studied in inhibiting the growth of four morphologically distinct pancreatic
adenocarcinoma lines (CBP, LHP2, LSP3, and Pour-LVG) in hamsters. Animals were inoculated with LD100 doses of one of the four
tumor lines and were randomly allocated to groups of five animals, which received in their
drinking water either: HEP (1000 U/ml) alone, HHS (10 mg/ml) alone, HC (0.5 mg/ml) alone, HEP plus HC, HHS plus HC, or no additives (control).
Tumors were measured, growth rates calculated, and nonparametric statistical comparisons made among the median growth rates of all of the treatment groups. All four
tumors were tested in the rabbit cornea assay for their ability to induce angiogenesis. Extracts of
tumors from control animals as well as from animals treated with HHS plus HC were prepared for quantitative testing in vitro by endothelial cell migration assay. All four
tumor lines caused angiogenesis as measured in the rabbit cornea assay. A reduction in median
tumor growth rates was observed in animals treated with HHS plus HC bearing the CBP, Pour-LVG, and LSP3
tumors. Similarly, in vitro capillary endothelial cell migration was decreased by HHS plus HC treatment in animals bearing CBP, Pour-LVG, and LSP3
tumors. Animals bearing the LHP2
tumor showed no effect of HHS plus HC treatment on
tumor growth rate and no effect on endothelial cell migration. HEP alone, HHS alone, HC alone, and HEP plus HC showed no effect on
tumor growth rate in any of the four
tumors tested.