Relative tumor inhibitory and stimulatory activities of BCG vaccine preparations, lots and substrains in a quantitative mouse sarcoma bioassay

A quantitative in vivo assay for BCG anticancer efficacy was developed to maximize detection of tumor-antagonistic mechanisms. Cultured S180 sarcoma cells admixed with various quantities of Mycobacterium bovis-BCG organisms were injected subcutaneously into CFW Swiss-Webster mice and response was measured as tumor incidence 14 days after injection. Assay of various BCG substrains, lots and killed preparations revealed characteristic patterns of BCG dose-dependent tumor inhibition and enhancement that suggest the existence in the vaccine of multiple active components, the relative concentrations of which vary among cultures. Inhibition of tumor growth by high doses of BCG (greater than 10 micrograms dry weight) was found to be a function of total cell mass and not of the bacterial viability, suggesting that this activity is dependent upon one or more heat-stable components.

Induction of micronuclei and toxic effects in embryos of pregnant rats treated before implantation with anticancer drugs: cyclophosphamide, cis-platinum, adriamycin

To evaluate a possible relationship of maternal exposure to anticancer drugs during the preimplantation period to blastopathies and postimplantation embryotoxicity, CD female rats were injected intraperitoneally on day 3 of pregnancy with 15 and 30 mg/kg of cyclophosphamide (CPA), 2 and 4 mg/kg of Adriamycin (ADR), 3 and 6 mg/kg of cis-platinum (Cis-Pt), or with 5 ml/kg of saline. Blastocysts were collected on day 5 of gestation and evaluated for gross morphology, cell number, and micronuclei. Some females were sacrificed on day 21 of pregnancy in order to evaluate postimplantation embryotoxicity. A reduction in cell number/blastocyst was observed only in animals exposed to Cis-Pt 6 mg/kg; vice versa, a dose-related increase of micronuclei and of blastocysts with micronuclei was found in all groups treated with the anticancer agents. A significant increase of postimplantation loss was recorded in the groups treated with high doses of Cis-Pt and ADR, but no clear signs of teratogenicity were observed.