This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Lockshin, A. Articles by Apperson, R. W. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Lockshin, A. Articles by Apperson, R. W.

Antitumor Activity and Minimal Toxicity of Concentrated Thymidine Infused in Nude Mice¹

St. Joseph Hospital Laboratory for Cancer Research, Houston, Texas 77002

To avoid infusing large volumes of fluid while treating patients with the standard thymidine solution (30 g/liter), it may be possible to administer this drug in more concentrated form. At 25° C, thymidine is saturating at a concentration of 52 g/liter of 0.6% NaCl solution, and the thymidine concentration at saturation increases with temperature. Nude mice were infused at 29° C with thymidine (60 or 72 g/liter) in cycles consisting of 4 to 5 days infusion followed by 9 days rest. Therapeutically effective doses of concentrated thymidine did not cause significant mortality in mice, and weight loss attributable to treatment was small and reversible. Significant growth inhibition of CA 1 human melanoma heterotransplants was observed after 3 treatment cycles. After 4 or 5 cycles, tumor responses were obtained in 7 mice (6 complete responses) of 12 inoculated with this tumor. These results show that concentrated thymidine solutions are highly effective against human tumor heterotransplants in nude mice and suggest that clinical use of concentrated thymidine may allow practical administration of maximum tolerated doses of this drug.

¹ This work was supported by The Stehlin Foundation for Cancer Research and by the Sid Richardson Foundation, Dallas, TX.

² To whom requests for reprints should be addressed.

Received 3/22/83. Revised 7/ 7/83. Revised 11/12/84. Accepted 12/18/84.