EFFECTS OF VINORELBINE AND TITANOCENE DICHLORIDE ON HUMAN TUMOR XENOGRAFTS IN NUDE-MICE

Purpose: In this study, the new antineoplastic agents titanocene dichl oride and vinorelbine are compared to cisplatin and paclitaxel using a human ovarian cancer xenograft model. Methods: Biopsy material from o ne native human ovarian carcinoma was expanded and transplanted into 4 8 nude mice. The animals were divided into six treatment groups: cispl atin 3x4 mg/kg, paclitaxel 5x26 mg/kg, vinorelbine 1x20 mg/kg, titanoc ene dichloride 3x30 mg/kg, titanocene dichloride 3x40 mg/kg and a cont rol group treated with 0.9% saline. Treatment groups were evaluated in terms of average daily increase in tumour volume and average daily bo dy weight increase of the nude mice based on slopes of least square re gressions performed on individual animals. The slope factors alpha and beta of the body weight (alpha) and tumour volume changes (beta) with in each group were calculated. Results: A statistically significant de crease (p<0.05) in body weight of the experimental animals was shown i n groups treated with paclitaxel (alpha = -0.6878) and titanocene dich loride 3x40 mg/kg (alpha = -0.7194) compared to the control group whic h was treated with 0.9% saline (alpha = -0.2643). Significant body wei ght changes were not observed in the comparison of the remaining treat ed groups (cisplatin: alpha = -0.4552, vinorelbine: alpha = -0.5606, t itanocene dichloride 3x30 mg/kg: alpha = -0.6173 to the control group. A significant reduction (p<0.05) of the increase tumour volume (vinor elbine: beta = 5.260, paclitaxel: beta = 0.478, titanocene dichloride 3x30 mg/kg: ss = 10.283, titanocene dichloride 3x40 mg/kg; ss = 5.768) was shown in treated groups except for cisplatin (beta = 18.722) comp ared to the tumour bearing control group (beta = 30.136). A statistica lly significant reduction of the increase in tumour volume occurred un der paclitaxel medication compared to the group treated with cisplatin . Conclusion: We found titanocene dichloride to be effective as vinore lbine and more effective than cisplatin. Vinorelbine seems to be a ver y effective antineoplastic agent with a significantly higher cytostati c effect than cisplatin. Both titanocene dichloride and vinorelbine pr ovide new therapeutic options in women with ovarian carcinoma not resp onding to standard chemotherapies.