Reversal of hypercalcemia with the vitamin D analogue EB1089 in a human model of squamous cancer.

EB1089, an analogue of 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D with low calcemic activity is a potent inhibitor of parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHRP) production in vitro. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether EB1089 could reverse established hypercalcemia in BALB C nude mice implanted s.c. with a human epithelial cancer previously shown to produce high levels of PTHRP in vitro. Total plasma calcium was monitored before and after tumor development and increased steadily when the tumor reached > or =0.5 cm3. When total calcium was 22.85 mmol/liter, animals were treated with a constant infusion of EB1089 or vehicle alone for a period of 2 weeks. A significant and sustained reduction of plasma calcium from 3.2+/-0.1 to 2.7+/-0.08 (P < 0.01) mmol/liter was observed during infusion with EB1089. In contrast, calcium levels in vehicle-treated animals continued to rise during the infusion period. Tumor growth velocity also slowed significantly after the administration of EB1089 as compared with vehicle-treated animals. Plasma PTHRP levels measured at the end of the 2 weeks' infusion period were significantly lower in animals treated with EB1089 as compared with animals treated with vehicle alone (44+/-8 pg/ml versus 194+/-35 pg/ml, P < 0.001). These results, therefore, demonstrate that EB1089 can reverse established hypercalcemia in a human model of squamous cancer.