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Effect of a cytotoxic analog of LH-RH (T-98) on the growth of estrogendependent MXT mouse mammary cancers: Correlations between growth characteristics and EGF receptor content of tumors

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Summary

Female BDF mice bearing estrogen-dependent MXT mouse mammary cancers were treated for 4 weeks with a cytotoxic analog of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH), T-98 (agonist [D-Lys6]LH-RH linked to glutaryl-2(hydroxymethyl)anthraquinone). The effects of T-98 were compared to those of equimolar amounts of the cytotoxic moiety 2-(hydroxymethyl)anthraquinone hemiglutarate (G-HMAQ) and carrier LH-RH agonist [D-Lys6]LH-RH. Both T-98 and [D-Lys6]LH-RH significantly inhibited the growth of MXT cancers, but G-HMAQ had only a minor non-significant effect. Cytotoxic analog T-98 and the carrier [D-Lys6]LH-RH had similar inhibitory hormonal activities on the pituitary-gonadal axis, but T-98 caused a larger reduction in tumor volume and decreased proliferation characteristics such as mitotic activity and AgNOR numbers in tumor cells to a greater extent than the carrier. Tumor inhibition by T-98, [D-Lys6]LH-RH, and ovariectomy was connected with a significant decrease in binding capacity of EGF receptors in tumor cell membranes. The concentration of EGF receptors remained high in tumors that continued to enlarge in spite of treatment and in all control untreated tumors, even those of small size. Thus, the changes in EGF receptors are likely to be the result of the therapy. Treatment with T-98 caused a greater reduction in the binding capacity of EGF receptors in tumors than [D-Lys6]LH-RH. This could explain the higher inhibitory effect of the cytotoxic analog on tumor growth. Since radiolabeled T-98 was shown to accumulate in MXT cancers 3 hours after a subcutaneous injection, this indicates that specific targeting might play a role in the antitumor effect exerted by this cytotoxic analog.

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Abbreviations

LH:

luteinizing hormone

LH-RH:

LH-releasing hormone

EGF:

epidermal growth factor

EGF-R:

EGF receptor

TGF:

transforming growth factor

NOR:

nucleolar organizing region

AgNOR:

argyrophilic NOR

G-HMAQ:

2(hydroxymethyl)anthraquinone-hemiglutarate

HPLC:

high performance liquid chromatography

TNF:

tumor necrosis factor

5-FU:

5-fluorouracil

PBS:

phosphate-buffered saline

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Tulane University Medical School, 1601 Perdido St., 70146, New Orleans, LA, USA

    Karoly Szepeshazi, Andrew V. Schally, Gabor Halmos, Kate Groot & Attila Nagy

  2. Section of Experimental Medicine, Department of Medicine, Tulane University Medical School, 1601 Perdido St., 70146, New Orleans, LA, USA

    Karoly Szepeshazi, Andrew V. Schally, Gabor Halmos, Balazs Szoke & Attila Nagy

  3. Endocrine, Polypeptide and Cancer Institute, Tulane University Medical School, 1601 Perdido St., 70146, New Orleans, LA, USA

    Karoly Szepeshazi, Andrew V. Schally, Gabor Halmos, Balazs Szoke, Kate Groot & Attila Nagy

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  1. Karoly Szepeshazi
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  2. Andrew V. Schally
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Szepeshazi, K., Schally, A.V., Halmos, G. et al. Effect of a cytotoxic analog of LH-RH (T-98) on the growth of estrogendependent MXT mouse mammary cancers: Correlations between growth characteristics and EGF receptor content of tumors. Breast Cancer Res Tr 40, 129–139 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01806208

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