The Effect of Prolan on Transplantable Mouse Sarcoma

Abstract

In 1932 Zondek, Zondek and Hartoch (1) reported an inhibition of growth of the Ehrlich mouse carcinoma following the administration of female sex hormone. An extract of the latter, including both the follicle-ripening component (Prolan A) and the luteinizing component (Prolan B), was injected daily intravenously into adult mice during the three-week period of observation, beginning the day after inoculation with the tumor graft. A daily dose of 200 rat units proved to be the upper limit of toxicity. Using over 400 mice, these authors found that the average tumor growth in animals treated with Prolan over a three-week period was 0.2 grams, contrasted with the average of 1.65 grams in the control tumors. Furthermore it was found that this restriction of growth persisted during later transplants. Inoculation of the inhibited tumors into fresh stock gave the usual percentage of takes, although the weight at three weeks still averaged only 0.24 grams. A third generation failed to grow normally, averaging only 0.14 grams and in some cases failing to take. Cannavo (2) in 1933 reported retardation in the growth of transplanted Ehrlich carcinoma in mice injected with Prolan, 800 rat units before and 1500 units after grafting. Gruhzit (3) in the same year found that Prolan B caused slight retardation in growth of the Flexner-Jobling carcinoma, but no more so than an injection of phenolated water, and had no effect on the percentage of successful inoculationa. Wiesner and Haddow (4) observed neither acceleration nor inhibition of the Jensen rat sarcoma when the animals were coincidentally treated with the gonadotropic hormone of pregnancy urine.