Proteases during the growth of Ehrlich ascites tumor. III. Effect of e-aminocaproic acid (EACA) and heparin.

Abstract The effect of heparin and e-aminocaproic acid (EACA) on the in vivo growth of Ehrlich ascites tumors was studied. The drugs were administered intraperitoneally every 8 hr for 8 consecutive days beginning 16 hr after transplant of 10 million tumor cells. Heparin doses studied ranged from 50 to 800 units/kg and EACA doses were 125–2000 mg/kg . Criteria for therapeutic effect included measurement of total ascites volume (TAV) and total packed cell volume (TPCV) determined 16 hr after the last drug injection. Both heparin and EACA exerted a dose-dependent chemotherapeutic effect. Heparin, at the highest dose of 800 units/kg significantly reduced TAV by an average of 46.9% (P 0.01– ) and reduced the TPCV by an average of 46.1% (P 0.01– ). At the lowest heparin dose of 50 units/kg a biphasic inhibitory response was obtained reflected by a decrease in both TAV ( 26.1% , P 0.025– ) and TPCV ( 26.3% , P 0.05– ). EACA, at the highest dose of 2000 mg/kg , inhibited TAV by 56.3% (P 0.001 ) and TPCV by 48.1% (P 0.001 ).