NORCANTHARIDIN INHIBITS GROWTH OF HUMAN HEPG2 CELL-TRANSPLANTED TUMORIN NUDE-MICE AND PROLONGS HOST SURVIVAL

In this study, norcantharidin was compared with adriamycin and mitomyc in C for its inhibitory action in the growth of cultured human hepatoc ellular carcinoma HepG2 cells. The IC50 of adriamycin and milomycin C on HepG2 cells was 7.3 mu M and 27 mu M, respectively, whereas the IC5 0 of norcantharidin for inhibiting the growth of HepG2 cells was as hi gh as 1900 mu M. After HepG2 tumor-bearing nude mice were treated with 12 daily intraperitoneal injections of norcantharidin (2 mg/kg), the increase in tumor size was significantly slower than that of untreated controls. The mean survival time of untreated tumor-bearing nude mice was 129 days, whereas in the tumor-bearing nude mice treated with nor cantharidin, the mean survival time was significantly prolonged to 194 days (P < 0.0001). It is concluded that norcantharidin may have a pot ential role in the treatment of human hepatocellular carcinoma. (C) 19 97 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.