[Nitric oxide donor nitrosorbide potentiates the antitumor effect of doxorubicin against experimental glioblastoma].

Background: Doxorubicin is a well-known antitumor drug that is not employed for chemotherapy of brain tumors. Indeed, doxorubicin does not penetrate across the blood-brain barrier in therapeutic concentrations.

Objective: To study the antitumor effect of doxorubicin combined with nitrosorbide on intracranial experimental glioblastoma 101/8 in rats.

Material And Methods: Male Wistar rats (=86) with intracranial implanted glioblastoma 101/8 received doxorubicin (i.v. 1.5 mg/kg thrice) alone or in combination with nitrosorbide (i.v or orally, 0.5 mg/kg thrice) in 2, 5 and 8 days after implantation. Efficacy was assessed considering survival and brain tumor volume in 14 days after tumor implantation.

Results: Combination of doxorubicin and nitrosorbide significantly increased survival (57% and 155%, respectively) and slowed down tumor growth (16±12 and 8±6 mm, respectively) compared to doxorubicin alone. Effectiveness of nitrosorbide alone was trivial.

Conclusion: Nitric oxide donor nitrosorbide considerably potentiated the antitumor effect of doxorubicin against intracranial 101/8 glioblastoma in rats.