Systemic promoting action and leukemogenesis in SWR mice by phorbol and structurally related polyfunctional diterpenes.

Phorbol and six structurally related compounds representing the polyfunctional diterpenes of the tigliane, ingenane, and lathyrane types were tested for systemic promoting and leukemogenic activity in SWR mice. For systemic initiation soon after birth, 15 microgram dimethylnitrosamine (DMN) was injected s.c. The diterpenes were administered i.p. either with or without prior systemic initiation with DMN. Systemic promotion was expressed for liver by induction of adenomas with all the diterpenes tested, some of them being more potent than phorbol. The relatively high dose of DMN used as initiator prevented an evaluation of promoting action in relation to lung carcinogenesis. The leukemogenic effect of phorbol in SWR mice was confirmed at three different dose levels. The other diterpenes tested had no significant leukemogenic activity. The leukemogenic action of phorbol was totally inhibited by prior DMN injection. The lack of correlation between promoting action in skin, systemic promoting action in liver and leukemogenic action, among the diterpenes tested, is discussed.