Effect of 3 growth control substances on foreign body sarcomagenesis: IFN, IUdR, MGBG

The purpose was to observe the effect on sarcomagenesis of 3 substances reported to inhibit neoplastic growth--interferon alpha-2/alpha-1 hybrid (IFN), 5-iodo-2-deoxyuridine (IUdR) and methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) (MGBG). Inhibitory effect might help diminish the sarcoma risk of human implants. The substances were applied respectively to groups of 25mm cellulose filters which were implanted subcutaneously 1 per animal in randomly assigned respective groups of 50 female BALB/c mice. The implant sites were palpated weekly. On detection of a tumour the animal was sacrificed. The number of tumours arising and the accumulated weeks of exposure to the implants were recorded per group and compared to those of controls with untreated filters. Tumour incidence in the 2 IFN groups was 33/45 and 35/48 mice--160 per cent that of the controls, 22/48 (chi-square p < 0.05). In the IUdR group tumour incidence was 24/44 mice--194 per cent that of controls (p < 0.05), and in the MGBG group 15/43--122 per cent that of controls (p < 0.75). Although the substances inhibit tumour growth in man, they did not inhibit but increased film sarcomagenesis, not significant for MGBG. Observation of the effects of such substances with dual neoplastic activity may furnish clues to the control processes of neoplasia.