Carcinostatic activity of yemenimycin
Shimi, I.R.; El-Merzabani, M.M.; El-Aaser, A.A.; Sakurai, Y.
Cancer Treatment Reports 60(7): 937-938
1976
ISSN/ISBN: 0361-5960 PMID: 1009525 Document Number: 104011
Yemenimycin showed marked activity against the Yoshida sarcoma. The optimal daily i.p. dose was 200 .mu.g/kg .times. 6 which cured 6 of 10 animals. The antibiotic was inactive when given in 6 daily doses at 100 .mu.g/kg and was toxic at 6 daily doses of 400 .mu.g/kg. Cytomorphologic examiniation of Yoshida sarcoma cells from rats treated with yemenimycin showed that the compound exerted a strong lytic effect at active and toxic doses. Similar effects were also observed with in vitro cultured Yoshida sarcoma cells. The concentration required for 50% growth inhibition (IC50) was 0.3 .mu.g/ml as determined by the method of Sakurai. Yemenimycin also had antitumor activity against the single cell type nonmetastatic ascites hepatomas AH-13, AH-66 and AH-44 but not against the island type ascites hepatomas AH-7974, AH-130, AH-272 and AH-60C. Although yemenimycin increased the mean survival time of mice with Ehrlich ascites carcinoma, none of the treated mice survived 60 days after tumor inoculation. The antibiotic was not active against DBLA-6 and L1210 leukemias, and was only marginally active against P388 leukemia.