Application of "Metabolite Antagonism" to Cancer Research

Abstract

An account of preliminary expts. on the effects of several amino acid analogues on tumor growth is presented. Alpha-aminosulfonic acids were used exclusively. Highly inbred "A" mice of both sexes were used. Sarcoma A274 was inoculated subcut. into the right groin. Eight days later the animals were matched according to tumor size. Then, 36 animals with equal-sized tumors were divided into 6 groups of 6 animals each. One group was a control which received no therapy. The other 5 groups consisted of 4 test and 2 control animals, the former receiving daily intravenous injns. of the S-amino acid (this term referring to the sulfonic acid corresponding to the amino acid) while the latter were injd. with the equivalent wt. of the corresponding dl-amino acid. The groups were: (I) S-glycine, (II) S-alanine, (III) S-phenylalanine, (IV) S-leucine, and (V) S-valine. The compds. were given in a total vol. of 0.2 ml., the pH of each soln. having been adjusted to 7.4. Trials for toxicity level were done on other animals, and in all cases daily intravenous doses higher than those employed here were well tolerated. After 1 wk., intraven. injn. was eliminated, and subcut. injns., 0.2 ml. twice daily, were used. The injns. were done in the midscapular region. The final growth of the sarcoma was not influenced appreciably by the S-amino acid or by the corresponding dl-amino acid.