Interleukin-1 receptor blockade reduces the number and size of murine B16 melanoma hepatic metastases.

Hepatic metastasis in melanoma is affected by processes of tumor cell adhesion to sinusoidal cells, avoidance of cytotoxic cells, and local growth-promoting activity. A role for interleukin-1 (IL-1) in these events was evaluated in vitro and in vivo by specifically blocking IL-1 receptors using the naturally occurring IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra). At 10- and 100-fold molar excess, IL-1Ra reduced the IL-1-mediated adhesion of B16 melanoma cells to cultured hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells by 60 and 100%, respectively. Conditioned media derived from murine hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells contain growth-promoting activity for B16 cells, and IL-1 increased its production 2.5-fold (P < 0.01). The addition of IL-1Ra to sinusoidal cells reduced the spontaneous release of the growth-promoting activity by 32% (P < 0.05). In addition, blocking IL-1 receptors on melanoma cells reduced their responsiveness to endothelial-conditioned medium (P < 0.05). A single dose of IL-1Ra (0.5 mg/kg) given to mice i.p. 2 h prior to intrasplenic injection of melanoma cells reduced the number of hepatic metastases by 50% and the metastatic volume by 70% compared to vehicle-injected controls (P < 0.01). When given 2, 4, and 6 days after the injection of tumor cells, IL-1Ra reduced the volume of metastases by 58% (P < 0.01). Fifty % of mice pretreated with 0.5 mg/kg IL-1Ra and given 3 additional doses on days 2, 4, and 6 died after 13.5 +/- 0.4 days compared to 11.3 +/- 0.2 days for controls (P < 0.01). In mice pretreated and given 10 daily doses at 5 mg/kg, there was an 80% reduction in hepatic metastases. Using this regimen, survival was 18.1 +/- 2.4 days in the IL-1Ra group and 11.2 +/- 1.5 in controls (P < 0.001). These studies demonstrate a significant role for IL-1 in implantation and growth of metastatic melanoma in the liver.