Effects of combined in vivo treatment of transplantable solid mammary carcinoma in Wistar rats using vitamin E and cysteine peptidase inhibitors from human placenta Yousif Saleh1, Maciej Siewiński1, Tadeusz Sebzda2, Marian Grybos1, Malgorzata Pawelec1, and Anna Janocha3 Cysteine cathepsin B and its endogenous inhibitor play an important role in tumor progression. Increase in cathepsin B expression and reduced levels of its inhibitors were associated with tumor malignancy in breast cancer. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of a new therapy combining vitamin E and placental inhibitor on the level of endogenous protease inhibitor in sera and tumor tissues with mammary cancer. The inhibitor was used in doses of 100 and 200 g per animal for 8 days. Vitamin E was added after the last treatment with inhibitor and was injected daily in doses of 10 and 20 mg per animal for one mouth. The size and survival time of treated animals as well as cathepsin B and the inhibitor activity in tumor and sera before and after treatment in comparison with the control groups were determined. The activity of cathepsin B significantly decreased both in tumor tissues and in sera (P 0.0001). Cathepsin B activity in tumor tissue homogenates and in sera decreased twofold and threefold, respectively, after the animals were treated with vitamin E at a dose of 20 mg, and decreased fivefold and 15fold, respectively, when treated with vitamin E plus inhibitor in comparison with untreated animals. Endogenous inhibitor activity increased sixfold and 12fold in the sera and tissue homogenates, respectively, after the animals were treated with 200 g of cysteine protease inhibitor plus 20 mg of vitamin E, in comparison with untreated animals. The total cure responses were higher in eight of 10 rats, as compared with untreated animals. The combination of placental inhibitor and vitamin E resulted in a significant reduction in breast metastasis and might provide a therapeutic basis for antimetastasis therapy. Journal of Experimental Therapeutics and Oncology Volume 3 Issue 2 Page 95 - March 2003 Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.