Anti-tumor efficacy of 2-chloroethyl-3-sarcosinamide-1-nitrosourea in a human lung cancer xenograft model with DNA repair gene expressions

Objective　To clarify whether 2-chloroethyl-3-sarcosinamide-1-nitrosourea (SarCNU) has an anti-tumor effect in DNA repair gene expressing tumors.Methods　Human non-small cell lung cancer cell line,NCI-H522,was implanted into 25 athymic mice and 6 were treated with SarCNU 120mg／kg once a day for 5 times intraperitoneally (ip).The left ones were given normal saline.The extraneuronal monoamine transporter (EMT) expression,DNA repair gene O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) and excision repair cross-complementing rodent repair deficiency gene (ERCC1-6) expressions were detected in the tumor specimens by using reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).Comparison of tumor size change between two groups was illustrated with T／C％.Results　All the tumors were reduced in size through the treatment of SarCNU with the optimal T／C％ of 23 at day 28.The tumor growth delay was 55 days,but no tumor free animals were observed.Positive EMT and DNA repair gene expression were observed in all tumor samples.Conclusion　The results suggest that anti-tumor effect of SarCNU in EMT positive tumor is satisfactory even though the tumor exhibits DNA repair gene expression,specifically MGMT and ERCC1-6. DOI: 10.3779/j.issn.1009-3419.2000.05.12