OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of dexamethasone (DXM) alone or in combination with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) on dimethyl-alpha-benzanthracene (DMBA)-induced mammary tumors in rats. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 4 groups receiving: 1) saline (controls), 2) DXM (3 mg/kg), 3) 5-FU (1.5 mg/kg) and 4) DXM and 5-FU combined. The drugs were given i.p. every day for 4 days. Interstitial fluid pressure (Pif) and tumor growth were determined in all tumors on days 1, 5 and 7 using the "wick-in-the needle" technique and by external size measurements, respectively. Vessel density and inflammatory cell infiltration of tumor tissue were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: DXM treatment significantly retarded tumor growth and reduced Pif. Treatment with a combination of DXM and 5-FU reduced tumor size significantly more than any of the agents alone (p<0.01-0.001). Enhanced uptake of 5-FU by DXM treatment was demonstrated by microdialysis. There were no differences in the density of CD31-positive vessels after DXM or 5-FU treatment, but inflammatory cell infiltration of tumor tissue was significantly reduced after DXM treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that DXM may be beneficial as an adjuvant to chemotherapy in the treatment of mammary cancer by increasing the uptake of 5-FU in the tumor.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of dexamethasone (DXM) alone or in combination with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) on dimethyl-alpha-benzanthracene (DMBA)-induced mammary tumors in rats. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 4 groups receiving: 1) saline (controls), 2) DXM (3 mg/kg), 3) 5-FU (1.5 mg/kg) and 4) DXM and 5-FU combined. The drugs were given i.p. every day for 4 days. Interstitial fluid pressure (Pif) and tumor growth were determined in all tumors on days 1, 5 and 7 using the "wick-in-the needle" technique and by external size measurements, respectively. Vessel density and inflammatory cell infiltration of tumor tissue were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS:DXM treatment significantly retarded tumor growth and reduced Pif. Treatment with a combination of DXM and 5-FU reduced tumor size significantly more than any of the agents alone (p<0.01-0.001). Enhanced uptake of 5-FU by DXM treatment was demonstrated by microdialysis. There were no differences in the density of CD31-positive vessels after DXM or 5-FU treatment, but inflammatory cell infiltration of tumor tissue was significantly reduced after DXM treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that DXM may be beneficial as an adjuvant to chemotherapy in the treatment of mammary cancer by increasing the uptake of 5-FU in the tumor.
Authors: Inge R H M Konings; Frederike K Engels; Stefan Sleijfer; Jaap Verweij; Erik A C Wiemer; Walter J Loos Journal: Cancer Chemother Pharmacol Date: 2008-12-20 Impact factor: 3.333
Authors: Inge R H M Konings; Stefan Sleijfer; Ron H J Mathijssen; Peter de Bruijn; Inge M Ghobadi Moghaddam-Helmantel; Linda M van Dam; Erik A C Wiemer; Jaap Verweij; Walter J Loos Journal: Cancer Chemother Pharmacol Date: 2010-07-23 Impact factor: 3.333
Authors: Ingrid Moen; Karl J Tronstad; Odd Kolmannskog; Gerd S Salvesen; Rolf K Reed; Linda E B Stuhr Journal: BMC Cancer Date: 2009-12-17 Impact factor: 4.430