The Influence of Suprarenalin (Epinephrin) on the Growth of Carcinoma and Sarcoma in Animals

Abstract

Since the isolation by Abel (1) of the active principle of the suprarenal gland in 1897, this substance has been widely used as a vasoconstrictor and hemostatic agent. These properties naturally suggested that this active principle, called epinephrin, might have a destructive effect upon certain types of neoplastic growths. In 1910, Reicher (2) reported that the injection of adrenalin (Takamine) in the neighborhood of rat sarcoma and mouse carcinoma caused a central necrosis and subsequent destruction of these tumors. Uhlenhuth, Haendel and Steffenhagen (3) found that local application of adrenalin had very little therapeutic effect on rat sarcoma. Lumsden and Stephens (4) demonstrated that the injection of adrenalin and anti-Jensen rat sarcoma serum from a sheep into and around the Jensen rat sarcoma caused regression of the tumor and produced active immunity in the animal. At the Thirteenth International Physiological Congress, Boston, 1929, Sokoloff showed that intratumoral injection of a mixture which contained adrenalin, pyrrol blue and ferric chloride produced local regression of transplanted tumors in rats and mice. More recently Coffey and Humber (5) reported that the injection of an extract of sheep suprarenal cortex produced changes in human cancer-tissue. About six years ago we made an extensive investigation with epinephrin on transplanted animal tumors. Although we succeeded in curing a large percentage of the transplanted tumors, we were pessimistic concerning the application of this hormone to the treatment of human cancer.