The evaluation of heparin in control of metastasis of Nb rat androgen-insensitive prostate carcinoma.

The Nb rat prostatic adenocarcinoma model has served as an animal model for testing various chemotherapeutic agents. This model has two tumor types: androgen-sensitive and androgen-insensitive. Herein, the androgen-insensitive tumor A.I.-II was evaluated in 52 animals, with heparin, heparan, 5-Fu, and cis-platinum for their effects on incidence of metastatic disease. Multiple experiments were previously carried out utilizing this tumor, which consistently has had an incidence of metastatic disease in 40-50% of the animals so implanted. Heparin at both doses and heparan significantly reduced metastasis in this study; however, they were not significant in reducing final tumor volumes as compared to the controls. 5-Fluorouracil at the dose evaluated neither significantly altered tumor volume nor altered metastatic disease. On the other hand, cis-platinum was significantly effective in lowering both metastatic disease and tumor volume (p less than 0.05).