Antiplatelet pyrimido-pyrimidines and metastasis

The role of antiplatelet drugs in relation to their potential antimetastatic activities has been reviewed and the effects of two pyrimido-pyrimidine derivatives (RX-RA69 and RX-RA85) with strong antiplatelet activities investigated in metastasizing tumour models. The routes of administration and drug dosages were always chosen in such a way that good antiplatelet activities were obtained. RX-RA69 (20 mg/kg/day) given in the drinking water had no effect on spontaneous metastasis of Lewis lung carcinoma. RX-RA85 (20 mg/kg/day) did not influence spontaneous metastasis of B16 melanoma. On the other hand, giving RX-RA85 (8 mg/kg) daily i.p. to Lewis lung carcinoma bearing mice significantly increased the number of lung metastases but had no significant effect on primary tumour implant growth. Pretreating mice orally with 20 mg/kg RX-RA85 1 h before i.v. injection of B16 melanoma cells had no significant effect on lung colony number or distribution of extrapulmonary tumours while injecting the same dosage of RX-RA85 i.v. 1-2 h before tumour-cell injection decreased lung colony formation, but increased extrapulmonary tumour burden. This investigation like many others does not support the importance of platelets in metastasis formation.