Triple therapy with octreotide, galanin and serotonin reduces the volume and weigt as wellas the spreading of a human colon cancer
Department of Medicine, University Hospital, Umeå, Sweden
Aim: To investigate the effect triple therapy with octreotide, galanin and serotonin on liver metastasis of a human colon cancer. Methods: The human colon cancer cell line (SW 620) was implanted (5x106 viable cells) subcapsulary in the left liver lobe of female nude mice. After seven days, the animals received triple therapy with octreotide, galanin, and serotonin, 40 ug/kg body weight/day of each for 14 days through an intraperitonealy osmotic pump. The number of tumor and their volume and weight were measured and metastases to mesenteric lymph nodes were recorded at the end experiment. Proliferation, apoptosis and tumor blood vessels were detected by immunocytochemistry using avidin-biotin complex (ABC) method. The antibodies used were anti- Ki-67, anti-poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase "PARP", anti-Bcl-x and CD31.Proliferative and apoptotic indexes as well as the number and luminal area of the tumor blood vessels were determined by computerized image analysis. Results: The volume, weight of the tumor as well as the number of metastasis in the liver and to the mesenteric lymph nodes weight were decreased in the in the treated animals as compared with the controls. The apoptotic index increased and the number and luminal area of the tumor blood vessels decreased in the group treated animals as compared with controls. There was no effect regarding the proliferation index Conclusions: Triple therapy with octreotide, galanin and serotonin was effective in reducing the volume and weight of a human colon carcinoma as well as its spreading to other location in the liver and mesenteric lymph nodes. The reduction in the tumor volume and weight may be caused the tumor ischemia and apoptosis of cancer cells. The ischemia of the cancer cells might to be caused by the reduced the number and constriction of the tumor-feeding blood vessels.
Paper presented at the International Symposium on Predictive Oncology and Intervention Strategies; Nice, France; February 7 - 10, 2004; in poster session 991 (Synergistic therapies).