In vitro and in vivo antitumor activity of the interferon inducer bropirimine.

In vivo and in vitro antitumor effects of an interferon (IFN)-alpha inducer, bropirimine (2-amino-5-bromo-6-phenyl-4(3H)-pyrimidinone), were examined in the murine tumor system. The antitumor effects were studied in Meth A cells, which were the most sensitive to bropirimine in the murine cell lines tested. The direct inhibitory activity of the drug was not reduced when Meth A cells were incubated with bropirimine and anti-IFNs, indicating that the inhibition is not due to autocrine IFN induction from tumor cells. The drug partially inhibited the uptake of [3H]thymidine, [3H]uridine and [3H]leucine. Cell cycle analysis with flow cytometry showed that the drug decreased G0/G1 phase and increased G2/M phase Meth A cells. The drug administered i.p. exhibited a remarkable antitumor effect against Meth A cells which were implanted i.p. These results suggested that the drug induced the in vivo antitumor effect by its direct antitumor activity.