Differential sensitivity of pancreatic and colon cancer to cyclosporine and alpha-difluoromethylornithine in vivo.

We have previously reported that the in vitro growth of MC-26 mouse colon cancer and H2T hamster pancreatic cancer cells are inhibited by cyclosporine (CsA) and alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO). The present study was designed to investigate the effects of these two drugs on the two experimental tumors (MC-26 and H2T) growing in vivo. Forty-eight male Balb/c mice or Syrian golden hamsters were inoculated with MC-26 (250,000) or H2T (500,000) cells, respectively, and then were randomized into four groups of 12 each: group I was control; group II received CsA; group III received DFMO; group IV received a combination of CsA and DFMO. MC-26 tumors were significantly more sensitive than H2T tumors to the effects of CsA and DFMO. MC-26 tumor growth and tumor weight, as well as the tumor content of DNA, RNA, and protein were all significantly more reduced by CsA and DFMO than were the H2T tumors. Our present study shows that both CsA and DFMO are potent inhibitors of MC-26 colon carcinoma growth in vivo, though DFMO is more than twice as effective as CsA. DFMO also produced greater reductions in the tumor content of DNA, RNA, and protein than did CsA. DFMO significantly decreased the concentrations of polyamines in both H2T and MC-26 tumors; the MC-26 tumors were affected to a greater degree.