Characterization of skin tumor promotion and progression by chrysarobin in SENCAR mice

The characteristics of the skin tumor promotion response with anthrone derivatives has been further examined in SENCAR mice. Chrysarobin (1,8-dihydroxy-3-methyl-9-anthrone) was an effective skin tumor promoter when applied twice weekly with dose-dependent increases in both papillomas and squamous cell carcinomas between 25 and 100 nmol/mouse. A similar dose-response relationship for papilloma and carcinoma formation was observed when chrysarobin was applied once weekly. Interestingly, chrysarobin was approximately twice as active as a skin tumor promoter when applied once weekly versus twice weekly. Doses of 25,100, and 220 nmol/mouse gave maximal papilloma responses of 2.90, 8.15, and 9.38 versus 0.73, 4.70, and 5.42 papillomas/mouse, respectively, in mice initiated with 25 nmol 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene. Thus, unlike 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), where a twice weekly application frequency is optimal, application of anthrone promoters such as chrysarobin once weekly is a more optimal frequency for papilloma development. Chrysarobin was also a much more effective skin tumor promoter when the start of promotion was delayed by an additional 10 weeks. Thus, groups of mice initiated with 10 nmol 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene and having promotion started in either the 3rd or the 13th week after initiation had maximal responses of 5.6 or 11.0 papillomas/mouse, respectively. In addition, the rate of papilloma development was faster in the delayed promotion group. The progression of papillomas to carcinomas was examined in all chrysarobin-treated groups and compared with three groups of mice treated with 3.4 nmol TPA. After 60 weeks of promotion, the anthrone promoter-treated groups had carcinoma:papilloma ratios 2.5 to 5.0 times higher than the TPA-treated groups. This was due primarily to the fact that similar carcinoma responses were observed in both anthrone- and TPA-treated mice at optimal promoting doses whereas the papilloma responses were significantly lower in the former groups. The data suggest that anthrone derivatives are very efficient tumor promoters. The results are further discussed in terms of mechanisms of skin tumor promotion.