No promoting effects of sodium tanshinone II-A sulfonate on growth and metastasis of Lewis carcinoma

From d 3 after transplantation of Lewis pulmonary carcinoma in C57BL mouse leg muscles, the mice were injected ip sodium tanshinone II-A sulfonate (DS-201) 0.2, 0.4, 6.3, 12.5, 25.0, and 50.0 mg.kg-1 qd x 12 d. At the dose of 12.5 mg.kg-1 or below, the mice appeared to be as vivid as those of the control. In the group of 25 mg.kg-1, declining brisk and unkept appearances were seen. At 50 mg.kg-1, the mice were more emaciated and half of them died. On d 2 of cessation of the medication, all remaining mice were dissected. The weights of muscle tumors and the metastatic foci on lungs in the medicated mice showed no significant differences from their controls. These results demonstrate that DS-201 has no promoting effect both on growth of Lewis carcinoma transplanted in C57BL mouse leg muscles and on lung metastasis of the neoplasm.