Human breast carcinoma (MCF-7 MIII), which exhibits an estrogen-independent but estrogen-responsive phenotype, was xenografted in 8-9-week-old intact female athymic nude mice without estrogen supplementation. In this model, we investigated inhibitory effects of the modern luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH) antagonist SB-75 and the agonist D-Trp6-LH-RH. The analogs were administered in the form of sustained delivery systems (microcapsules and microgranules). In the first experiment, treatment lasted 10 weeks. After 9 weeks of treatment, a significant inhibition of tumor volume was first found only in the group treated with SB-75, but the final tumor volume was significantly suppressed both by D-Trp6-LH-RH and SB-75. In the second experiment, treatment was started 70 days after tumor transplantation and was continued for 6 weeks. Chronic treatment with SB-75 or D-Trp6-LH-RH appeared to completely arrest tumor growth as measured by tumor volume, percentage change in tumor volume, and tumor weight. Serum estradiol was suppressed to undetectable levels and LH levels were also diminished. Histologically, the regressive changes in the treated tumors were due to the enhancement of apoptosis (programmed cell death) of tumor cells. Membrane receptor assays showed that LH-RH binding sites were down-regulated in tumor cells after treatment with SB-75 or D-Trp6-LH-RH. The results indicate that the antagonist SB-75, released from sustained delivery systems, can inhibit the growth of MCF-7 MIII tumors as effectively as the agonist D-Trp6-LH-RH, but more rapidly. In view of its immediate blockade of the pituitary-gonadal axis and the absence of side effects, the LH-RH antagonist SB-75 might be considered as a possible new hormonal agent for the treatment of breast cancer.
Membrane receptors for LHRH were evaluated in Dunning R3327 prostate cancers and rat anterior pituitaries. The receptors were characterized both in untreated animals and after in vivo treatment with microcapsules of the agonist D-Trp6-LHRH and a sustained delivery system releasing different doses (23.8, 47.6, 71.4 micrograms/day) of LHRH antagonist [Ac-D-Nal(2)1-D-Phe(4Cl)2-D-Pal(3)3,D-Cit6, D-Ala10]-LHRH (SB-75). The therapy, which lasted 8 weeks, strongly inhibited tumor growth. A group of normal Sprague-Dawley male rats was also treated for 6 weeks with microcapsules of SB-75 releasing 25 micrograms/day. In the Dunning tumors from the control group, ligand [125I, D-Trp6]-LHRH was bound to two classes of binding sites [dissociation constant, class a (Kda) = 1.01 +/- 0.30 x 10(-9) M; Kdb = 1.71 +/- 0.41 x 10(-6) M; maximal binding capacity of receptors, class a (Bmaxa) = 48.66 +/- 22.13 fmol/mg of protein; Bmaxb = 92.10 +/- 29.40 pmol/mg of protein] in both kinetic and equilibrium studies. Treatment with D-Trp6-LHRH produced down-regulation of membrane receptors for LHRH in Dunning tumors. Microcapsules of SB-75 resulted in dose-dependent up-regulation of binding sites for LHRH in Dunning tumors. Analysis of the binding data showed that interaction of labeled D-Trp6-LHRH with binding sites in anterior pituitaries was consistent with the presence of a single class of noncooperative receptors (Kd = 43.75 x 10(-9) M; Bmax = 5.25 pmol/mg membrane proteins). Prolonged treatment with microcapsules of D-Trp6-LHRH reduced both Bmax and Kd. Lower doses of SB-75 (23.8 and 47.6 micrograms/day) produced up-regulation, whereas the highest dose (71.4 micrograms/day) resulted in down-regulation of binding sites for LHRH in rat pituitaries. In normal Sprague-Dawley rats, treatment with microcapsules of SB-75 (25 micrograms/day) for 6 weeks produced a slight increase in the number of available binding sites (Bmax = 2.35 +/- 0.82 pmol/mg membrane protein) and a moderate decrease in affinity (Kd = 35.10 +/- 15.19 x 10(-9) M) of pituitary membrane receptors for LHRH. The findings provide additional support for the view that LHRH analogs exert direct effects on tumor cells. Our findings indicate that prolonged treatment with high doses of modern LHRH antagonists produces down-regulation of pituitary receptors. Our work in tumors also implies that some differences may exist between LHRH receptors, even in the same tissue, leading to the concept of subclassification of LHRH receptors.
Rats bearing Dunning R-3327 hormone-dependent prostate tumors were treated with LH-RH antagonist SB-75 in the form of microcapsules for sustained delivery administered every 3 weeks and which released 24, 48, 72 micrograms/day respectively. The effects were compared with those of microcapsules of the agonist D-Trp-6-LH-RH releasing 25 micrograms/day. Both types of LH-RH analogs significantly inhibited tumor growth over a period of treatment lasting 8 weeks. The effect of SB-75 was dose-dependent. The total inhibition of spermatogenesis, as well as atrophic signs in the prostate and seminal vesicles, demonstrated a marked suppression of the pituitary-gonadal system by these analogs. The histological signs of tumor regression were analyzed. The vascular content of tumors did not change after the treatments, but an increased amount of connective tissue was found in the treated tumors, especially after administration of SB-75. Both the agonist and the antagonist caused a moderate decrease of the number of mitotic cells and a marked increase of apoptosis in the tumors. The apoptotic index, i.e. the percentage of tumorous glands showing signs of apoptosis, reached 40-50% in treated groups, compared to only 15% in controls. An apoptotic index of 60% was noted in a separate group of rats treated with 200 micrograms SB-75/animal/day for 3 days. The signs of enhanced apoptosis disappeared 1 week after the short-term treatment. The induction of apoptosis by LH-RH analogs seemed to be of greater importance in tumor growth inhibition than their antimitotic effect. These results extend our previous observations on the efficacy of LH-RH antagonists in inhibition of various cancers. This histopathologic evaluation clearly supports our contention that modern antagonists of LH-RH, free of edematogenic effects, inhibit the growth of Dunning prostate tumors. Because of the immediate inhibitory effects, the use of LH-RH antagonists might lead to an improvement in the clinical response in patients with prostate cancer.
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