Carcinostatic effect of aliphatic aldehydes and aldehyde dehydrogenase activity in Ehrlich carcinoma, Sarcoma 180, and Yoshida AH 130 hepatoma.

The antitumor activity of 2,3-dihydroxybutyraldehyde on Ehrlich carcinoma, Sarcoma 180, and Yoshida AH 130 hepatoma, as well as the aldehyde dehydrogenase activity in these tumors, was studied. 2,3-Dihydroxybutyraldehyde at nontoxic doses (500 mg/kg body weight i.p. daily for 7 days) slowed down the growth of solid and ascites tumors in mice. The treatment completely prevented the development of Yoshida ascites hepatoma in several rats. 2,3-Dihydroxybutyraldehyde, although it did not influence the growth of Ehrlich carcinoma transplanted in the brain of mice, significantly decreased in the lungs of these animals the number of viable tumour cells that derived from the primary tumor. All the tested tumors, which were sensitive to the action of 2,3-dihydroxybutyraldehyde, were virtually devoid of aldehyde dehydrogenase activity. These results suggest a possible relationship between the lack of this enzyme activity and the antitumor activity of aliphatic aldehydes.