Strain differences in carcinogenic and hematopoietic responses of mice after injection of plutonium citrate

Antiangiogenic antitumor activity of HPMA copolymer-paclitaxel-alendronate conjugate on breast cancer bone metastasis mouse model

Polymer therapeutics have shown promise as tumor-targeted drug delivery systems in mice. The multivalency of polymers allows the attachment of different functional agents to a polymeric backbone, including chemotherapeutic and antiangiogenic drugs, as well as targeting moieties, such as the bone-targeting agent alendronate (ALN). We previously reported the conjugation of ALN and the chemotherapeutic drug paclitaxel (PTX) with N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide (HPMA) copolymer. The in vitro physicochemical properties, cancer cytotoxicity and antiangiogenic activity of HPMA copolymer-PTX-ALN conjugate were extensively characterized. The reported results warranted in vivo evaluations of the conjugate. In this manuscript, we evaluated the in vivo anticancer and antiangiogenic activity of HPMA copolymer-PTX-ALN conjugate. The conjugate exhibited an antiangiogenic effect by decreasing microvessel density (MVD), and inducing apoptotic circulating endothelial cells (CEC) following treatment of the mice. Using intravital imaging system and mCherry-labeled breast cancer cell lines, we were able to monitor noninvasively the progression of orthotopic metastatic tumors injected into the tibia of the mice. HPMA copolymer-PTX-ALN conjugate showed the greatest antitumor efficacy on mCherry-labeled 4T1 mammary adenocarcinoma inoculated into the tibia, as compared with PTX alone or in combination with ALN. Treatment with the bone-targeted polymeric conjugate demonstrated improved efficacy, was better tolerated, and was more easily administered intravenously than the clinically used PTX formulated in Cremophor/ethanol.

Does malignant hematopoietic disease result from internal exposure to 239Pu?

Neither Fisher's Exact Test nor linear regression analysis (dose-response relationship) using average skeletal dose from 239Pu as a surrogate for marrow dose could establish a statistically significant association between malignant hematopoietic disease (MHD including leukemia and aleukemia) and exposure to 239Pu among dogs in the Utah beagle colony. In addition, when dog-years at risk was the parameter used to estimate the rate of expected malignant hematopoietic tumors in dogs exposed to 239Pu, the estimate was within the range of the 95% confidence limits of the control dogs for six cases (and also within the 95% confidence limits for five cases when the single case of lymphoma was omitted). It was concluded that if there was an effect of 239Pu exposure on the occurrence of MHD in this beagle experiment, it was not very meaningful. These data could not establish a significant susceptibility to neoplasia of either myeloid or lymphoid tissue of 239Pu exposure.

The specific induction of osteosarcomas in different mouse strains after injections of 239Pu citrate

Lifetime bone tumor induction by the injection of a bone-seeking alpha emitter, 239Pu citrate, was compared among 630 female mice from three strains (C3H/He, C57BL/6 and B6C3F1) showing different genetic backgrounds for carcinogenesis. Bone tumors, mostly osteosarcomas, appeared early during the period from 200 to 600 days after the injection, showing an almost similar dose responsiveness with a peak incidence of 50% to 63% at skeletal doses of 2-3 Gy, in all mouse strains. The primary sites of bone tumors from these strains were also predominantly distributed in 80% to 90% of the skeletal bones, which had well-developed trabecular bone surfaces and large vascular sinusoids. The frequency of lymphoid neoplasms was significantly lower than the control values, and some appeared earlier at the higher injected doses than those of the controls. Fewer or no myeloid leukemias were found in all the control and injected animals, and the incidences of other solid tumors decreased, reaching zero at doses where the maximum incidences of bone tumors were noted. These findings indicate that osteosarcoma is the only specific tumor commonly observed among different mouse strains following the injection of soluble plutonium compounds.

Genetic identification of multiple susceptibility genes involved in the development of endometrial carcinoma in a rat model

There are clear indications that inheritance plays an essential role in certain cases of human endometrial cancer, and there are at least 2 forms of early-onset heritable endometrial adenocarcinomas (EACs). Females of the BDII inbred rat strain are known to be genetically predisposed to endometrial carcinoma, and we have performed a genetic analysis of susceptibility to endometrial cancer in this strain. F(2) populations were generated by crossing BDII females with males from 2 different strains with a low incidence of EAC, and the occurrence of endometrial cancer was studied. Three chromosome regions associated to EAC susceptibility were identified, and the susceptibility genes in these regions were designated Ecs1, Ecs2 and Ecs3. Our results indicate that the genes affecting susceptibility to EAC are different in the 2 crosses, suggesting that the genes behind the susceptibility in BDII animals may interact with different genes in different genetic backgrounds.