Several biochemical effects of
5-fluorouracil (5-FU) including inhibition of the incorporation of 3H-deoxyuridine (3H-UdR) into
DNA, inhibition of ribosome formation, and formation of
5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine-5'-monophosphate (
FdUMP) were examined in samples of human colon
carcinomas to determine if any of these
drug effects might have predictive value as a reliable guide to
5-FU therapy. For comparison, the solid rat Walker 256
carcinosarcoma, which is only minimally responsive to
5-FU, was also studied. For each of the biochemical effects of
5-FU measured in the various samples of Walker 256
tumors, the responses were consistent and varied within a narrow range. In contrast, the formation of
FdUMP from
5-FU and the degree of inhibition of the incorporation of 3H-UdR into
DNA by
5-FU were extremely variable in the population of human colon
carcinomas examined. In all human
tumors examined,
5-FU caused a reduction in the formation of ribosomes, but even in the absence of
5-FU, the total amount of ribosome synthesis was so low that it makes measurement difficult to quantitate. Based on our data, a study might be warranted to determine if there is a correlation between
FdUMP formation and responsiveness of colon
carcinoma to
5-FU therapy.