Attempted use of zinc in vivo to protect against nitrogen mustard toxicity in tumor-free and in L1210 leukemia-bearing B6D2F sub 1 mice

Technical Report · Fri Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1989

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5404384· OSTI ID:5404384

Shackelford, M. E.; Tobey, R. A.

The use of alkylating agents in treating cancer is limited by their toxicity to both normal and tumor tissue. Early in vitro and in vivo studies had indicated that zinc could be effective in mitigating this toxicity to normal tissue. The present studies were done to determine the capability of zinc to induce in living tissue a protective response to an alkylating agent, without also contributing to mortality. Tumor-free and leukemia-bearing B6D2F{sub 1} mice were treated with zinc before administration of the alkylating agent nitrogen mustard (HN{sub 2}). Protocols for administration route and frequency and chemical formulation of the zinc were varied. The effect of a phytate-free diet was studied. Two parameters were used to judge the effectiveness of zinc in protecting animals from the toxicity of HN{sub 2}: the number of tumor-free mice who survived and any increase in the median life span of the tumor-bearing mice. Zinc provided a limited degree of protection against HN{sub 2} toxicity in tumor-free mice, but in tumor-bearing animals, the protective response elicited with the protocols examined was too small to provide a significant therapeutic benefit. 6 refs., 3 figs., 2 tabs.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/DP
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 5404384
• Report Number(s): LA-11474; ON: DE90002969
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
NITROGEN MUSTARD
THERAPEUTIC USES
TOXICITY
MITIGATION
ZINC
RESPONSE MODIFYING FACTORS
IN VIVO
LEUKEMIA
MICE
MORTALITY
NEOPLASMS
ALKYLATING AGENTS
AMINES
ANIMALS
DISEASES
ELEMENTS
HEMIC DISEASES
IMMUNE SYSTEM DISEASES
MAMMALS
METALS
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
RODENTS
USES
VERTEBRATES
560300* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology