Abstract
Bropirimine [2-amino-5-bromo-6-phenyl-4-(3H)-pyrimidinone] is a low-molecular-weight compound that acts as an inducer of interferon in several animal species. Experiments were designed to explore the possibility of using this drug for the treatment of renal-cell carcinoma (RCC). Euthymic BALB/c mice were inoculated with murine RCC (Renca) cells and given graded doses of Bropirimine p.o. for 5 consecutive days beginning on day 1 following tumor inoculation. These mice were killed and tumors were excised on day 21. Bropirimine significantly (P<0.01) inhibited the tumor growth at a daily dose of 1,000 or 2,000 mg/kg. No adverse effect or toxicity was noted at 1,000 mg/kg, and at 2,000 mg/kg there was only a marginal body-weight reduction without any other appreciable side effect. In addition to the inhibition of tumor growth, there was a small yet significant (P<0.05) increase in the duration of survival (in days) in the Bropirimine-treated animals. When the treatment was delayed to begin on day 6 following tumor inoculation, Bropirimine did not suppress tumor growth in euthymic mice, pointing to the importance of the timing of the treatment. In athymic nude BALB/c mice lacking T-cells or T-cell function, Bropirimine also inhibited tumor growth (P<0.01). The antitumor effect of this drug was abolished by pretreatment with anti-asialo GM1 serum, which eliminated natural killer (NK) activity in euthymic mice. In vivo treatment with Bropirimine augmented the cytotoxicity of lymphocytes isolated from the spleens or lungs of the tumor-bearing mice, which were active against Renca and YAC-1 cells in vitro. This activity was NK-cell-dependent as judged on the basis of the results of the in vitro complement-dependent cytotoxicity assay. Since Bropirimine induced interferon (IFN)-α/β production, significantly (P<0.05) elevating its serum concentration, and since this drug mimics the effects of IFN-α/β, it seemed likely that the Bropirimine-induced NK cell augmentation we found was mediated by IFN-α/β. These results suggest that Bropirimine, a booster of NK activity, may have potential as an adjunct to other therapeutic modalities in the treatment of human RCC.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Silverberg E, Lubera J (1987) Cancer statistic. CA 37:2
Potes JE (1983) Adjunctive treatment of renal cell carcinoma. Int Adv Surg Onco 6:309
deKernion JB (1987) Management of renal adenocarcinoma. In: deKernion JB, Paulson DF (eds) Genitourinary cancer management. Lee & Febiger, Philadelphia, p 187
Rosenberg SA, Lotze MT, Muul LM, Chang AE, Avis FP, Leitman S, Linehan WM, Robertson GN, Lee RE, Rubin JT, Seipp CA, Simpson CG, White DE (1987) A progress report on the treatment of 157 patients with advanced cancer using lymphokine-activated killer cells and interleukin-2 or high-dose interleukin-2 alone. N Engl J Med 316:889
Rosenberg SA (1989) Clinical immunotherapy studies in the surgery branch of the U.S. National Cancer Institute: brief review. Cancer Treat Rev 16:115
Belldegrun A, Rosenberg SA (1988) Adoptive immunotherapy of urologic tumors. Cancer Treat Res 46:213
Robertson CN, Linehan WM, Pass HI, Gomella LG, Hass GP, Berman A, Merino M, Rosenberg SA (1990) Preparative cytoreductive surgery in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma treated with adoptive immunotherapy with interleukin-2 or interleukin-2 plus lymphokine activated killer cells. J Urol 144:614
Lotze MT, Custer MC, Bolton ES, Wiebke EA, Kawakami Y, Rosenberg SA (1990) Mechanisms of immunologic antitumor therapy: lessons from the laboratory and clinical applications. Hum Immunol 28:198
Wierenga W, Skulnick HI, Stringellow DA, Weed SD, Renis HE, Edison EE (1980) 5-Substituted 2-amino-6-phenyl-(3H)-pyrimidinone, antiviral and interferon inducing agents. J Med Chem 23:237
Wierenga W (1985) Antiviral and other bioactivities of pyrimidinones. Pharmacol Ther 30:67
Eggermont AMM, Marquet RL, Bruin RWF de, Jeekel J (1986) Effects of the interferon-induced ABPP on colon cancer in rats: importance of tumor load and tumor site. Cancer Immunol Immunother 22:217
Chan AC, Chuang C, Pandya KJ, Wieren W (1986) Chemoprevention of 7, 12-dimethylbenz(alpha)anthracene (DMBA) induced rat mammary tumors by 2-amino-5-bromo-6-phenyl-4(3H)-pyrimidinone (ABPP). J Biol Response Mod 5: 112
Sidky YA, Borden EC, Wierenga W, Bryan GT (1986) Inhibitory effects of interferon-inducing pyrimidinone on the growth of transplantable mouse bladder tumors. Cancer Res 46: 3802
Sarosdy MF, Kierum CA (1989) Combination immunotherapy of murine transitional cell cancer using BCG and an interferon-inducing pyrimidinone. J Urol 142:1376
Fujioka T, Ishikura K, Tanji S, Okamoto T, Koike H, Aoki H, Ohhori T, Kubo T (1990) Combined effects of intraperitoneal administration of recombinant interleukin-2 and streptococcal preparation OK-432 in murine tumors. Int J Immunopharmacol 12:419
Belldegrun A, Muul LM, Rosenberg SA (1988) Interleukin-2-expanded tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in human renal cell cancer: isolation, characterization and antitumor activity. Cancer Res 48:206
Kohase M, Kohno S, Saito S (1981) Quality control of human interferon preparations. Protein Nucleic Acid Enzyme 25 [Suppl]:335
Murphy GP, Hrushesky WJ (1973) A murine renal cell carcinoma. J Natl Cancer Inst 50:1013
Salup RR, Herberman RB, Wiltrout RH (1985) Role of natural killer activity in development of spontaneous metastases in murine renal cancer. J Urol 134:1236
Huben RP, Connelly R, Goldrosen MH, Murphy GP, Pontes EJ (1983) Immunotherapy of a murine renal cancer. J Urol 129: 1075
Salup, RR, Wiltrout RH (1986) Adjuvant immunotherapy of established murine renal cancer by interleukin 2-stimulated cytotoxic lymphocytes. Cancer Res 46:3558
Fujioka T, Tanji S, Koike H, Kubo T, Ohhori T (1990) Immunotherapy for experimental murine renal carcinoma using streptococcal preparation, OK-432. In: deKernion JB (ed) Immunotherapy of urological tumors. Churchill Livingstone, Ebinburgh, p 299
Rios A, Stringfellow DA, Fitzpatrick FA, Reele SB (1986) Phase I study of 2-amino-5-bromo-6-phenyl-4(3H)-pyrimidinone (ABPP), an oral interferon inducer, in cancer patients. J Biol Response Mod 5:330
Lotzova E, Savary CA, Khan A, Stringfellow DA (1984) Stimulation of natural killer cells in two random-bred strains of athymic rats by interferon-inducing pyrimidinone. J Immunol 132:2566
Ishikura K, Fujioka T, Hasegawa M, Nomura K, Okamoto T, Tanji S, Kubo T (1992) In vivo antitumor effect of combination therapy with α/β-interferon and γ-interferon on a murine renal cell carcinoma. J Jpn Soc Cancer Ther 27:2020
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Fujioka, T., Ishikura, K., Hasegawa, M. et al. Antitumor effects of oral administration of an interferon-inducing pyrimidinone, Bropirimine, on murine renal-cell carcinoma. Cancer Chemother. Pharmacol. 36, 7–12 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00685725
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00685725