The nitrones of α-phenyl-tert-butyl nitrone (PBN) and 4-hydroxyl-PBN (4-OH-PBN) that have anticancer activity in models of liver cancer and glioblastomas, were tested in the ApcMin/+ mouse model. Mice were administered PBN and 4-OH-PBN in drinking water and intestinal tumor size and number assessed after 3-4 months. Throughout the experiment, contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to monitor colon tumors. MRI data showed a time-dependent significant increase in total colonic signal intensity in sham-treated mice, but a significant decrease for PBN-treated mice, and slight decrease for 4-OHPBN treated mice probably due to the limited water solubility of 4-OH-PBN. Final pathological and percent survival data agreed with the MRI data. PBN had little effect on oxaliplatin-mediated killing of HCT116 colon cancer cells and caused only a slight decrease in the amount of active fraction caspase 3 in oxaliplatin-treated cells. PBN has significant anti-cancer activity in this model of intestinal neoplasia.
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