Evaluation of cortisone-heparin and cortisone-maltose tetrapalmitate therapies against rodent tumors. I. Biological studies.

The antitumor activity of either cortisone-heparin or cortisone-maltose tetrapalmitate combination or both was tested against two animal tumor models. The first model was orthotopically implanted bladder tumor established in syngeneic Fisher 344 rats. Shrinkage and growth arrest of the tumors were induced by cortisone and amplified by its combination with either heparin or maltose tetrapalmitate (MTP). The second model was trocar implanted C3HBA mammary tumor piece s.c. in syngeneic LPS and MTP responder C3H/HeN and non responder C3H/HeJ mice. The tumor was sensitive to growth inhibition by cortisone-MTP in the C3H/HeN but not by cortisone alone or cortisone-heparin. Tumor implanted in C3H/HeJ was much less sensitive to cortisone-MTP. Cortisone could be replaced by 17-alpha-hydroxyprogesterone, but not by cortexolone.