Antitumor activity of TZT-1027 (Soblidotin) against vascular endothelial growth factor-secreting human lung cancer in vivo.

TZT-1027 (Soblidotin), an antimicrotubule agent, has been demonstrated to show potent antitumor effects, though the relationships among antitumor effect, cytotoxicity and anti-vascular effect of TZT-1027 have not been studied. We established in vivo human lung vascular-rich tumor models using a vascular endothelial growth factor-secreting tumor (SBC-3/VEGF). SBC-3/VEGF tumors exhibited a high degree of angiogenesis in comparison with the mock transfectant (SBC-3/Neo) tumors in a dorsal skinfold chamber model and grew much faster and larger than SBC-3/Neo tumors in the tumor growth study. The antitumor activity of antimicrotubule agents, including TZT-1027, was evaluated in both early- and advanced-stage SBC-3/Neo and SBC-3/VEGF tumor models to elucidate the relationship between the antitumor activity and anti-vascular effect of these agents. TZT-1027 exhibited potent antitumor activity against both early- and advanced-stage SBC-3/Neo and SBC-3/VEGF tumors, whereas combretastatin A4 phosphate did not. Vincristine and docetaxel exhibited potent antitumor activity against early-stage SBC-3/Neo and SBC-3/VEGF tumors, and advanced-stage SBC-3/Neo tumors, but did not exhibit activity against advanced-stage SBC-3/VEGF tumors. The difference in antitumor activity between these agents could be ascribed to differences in direct cytotoxicity and anti-vascular effect. Furthermore, a prominent accumulation of erythrocytes in the tumor vasculature, followed by leakage and scattering of these erythrocytes from the tumor vasculature, was observed after TZT-1027 administration to mice bearing advanced-stage SBC-3/VEGF tumors. These findings strongly suggest that TZT-1027 has a potent anti-vascular effect, in addition to direct cytotoxicity.