A somatostatin analogue inhibits chondrosarcoma and insulinoma tumour growth

The in vivo effects on tumour growth of a potent somatostatin analogue, SMS 201-995 [H-(D)Phe-Cys-Phe-(D)Trp-Lys-Thr-Cys-Thr-(ol)], were measured in two characterised transplantable tumours: a) the Swarm rat chondrosarcoma, known to be insulin-, growth hormone (GH)-, somatomedin- and corticosteroid-dependent, b) a hamster insulinoma, bearing specific high affinity somatostatin receptors. SMS 201-995 (1.25 mg/kg/day) given for 25 days to rats bearing freshly transplanted chondrosarcomas inhibited tumour volume by 48%. A significant tumour growth inhibition was measured also in well developed tumours treated with high doses of SMS 201-995 (1.25mg/kg/day) for 7 days. In the treated animals, GH was significantly inhibited. In hamsters bearing a freshly transplanted insulinoma, the daily application of SMS 201-995 (200 micrograms/kg/day, sc) for 33 days could significantly inhibit the growth (as measured by tumour volume) of the tumour. A moderate inhibitory effect of SMS 201-995 on the growth of well grown insulinomas could also be observed. This study shows that SMS 201-995 under the present experimental conditions has a moderate but significant growth inhibitory effect in two different transplantable tumour models. In the rat chondrosarcoma, the effect of SMS 201-995 is probably indirect, due to inhibition of GH, somatomedin and insulin. In the hamster insulinoma, the effect is possibly due to a more direct action of SMS 201-995 on specific somatostatin receptors present in this tumour.