Antitumor effect of 3-[3-(2-chloroethyl)-3-nitrosoureido]-3-deoxy-D-glucopyranose on murine tumors.

The antitumor activity of a new derivative of nitrosourea, 3-[3-(2-chloroethyl)-3-nitrosoureido]-3-deoxy-D-glucopyranose (CNUG), against murine tumors was studied. CNUG showed remarkable antitumor activity against leukemias L1210 and P388, Lewis lung carcinoma, and sarcoma-180 (solid form). In particular, the majority of mice with leukemia or sarcoma-180 tumor were cured when they were given a single injection of CNUG on day 1 after tumor inoculation, and this treatment was more effective than daily treatment. CNUG was also active against sarcoma-180 grown in the brain, lung, liver or under the capsule of the kidney, and even against autochthonous lung tumor induced by 1-ethyl-1-nitrosourea. The number of peripheral leucocytes was depressed by the treatment with CNUG but this depression was less than that with 1-(2-chloroethyl)-3-(4-methylcyclohexyl)-1-nitrosourea.