The Effect of D20 on Survival of Mice with Ascites Tumor

The effect of deuterium oxide (D20) on the survival of mice inoculated with Ehr l ich ls mouse asc i tes tumor has been studied. Mice maintained on 25%and 30% D P drinking water showed an improved survival t ime of about 6 days whereas 40%DZO drinking water had no effect on survival t ime. The effect is interpreted i n t e r m s of inhibition of tumor cell division and systemic toxicity. t Ann M. Hughes, B e r t M. Tolber t , Kar l Lonberg-Holm, ' and Melvin Calvin Radiation Laboratory and Department of Chemis t ry Universi ty of California, Berkeley, California July 1957 The improved availabil i ty of mass -produced deuter ium a t reasonable p r i ce s ( $28 pe r pound for D20) ha s made i t of i n t e r e s t to renew the study of metabol ic effects of deuter ium in plants and an imals . The older l i t e r a tu r e on th is subject h a s been ably reviewed by Chance and Allen1 and Thorn 2 who include s eve ra l r e p o r t s on the effects of deuter ium on a var ie ty of 5 t umors , R e a and Yuster inoculated r a t s with a s a r coma , and a f te r the tumor was es tabl ished, in jected O.110/0 D 0 in and around the tumor e v e r y other 2 day fo r t en t r ea tmen t s . They repor ted no inhibition of tumor growth. Woglom 4 and Weber brought the body water of m ice to 0.3% and then implanted s a r c o m a 180 o r ca rc inoma 6 3 while continuing D 2 0 t rea tment . They a l so r epo r t ed no effect on the t umor . These r e s u l t s a r e not surpr i s ing in vie.w of other r e p o r t s which have indicated that g r e a t e r than 570 D20 body-water concentrat ion i s needed to 5 produce any g r o s s metabol ic changes i n an imals . Barbour and Allen r epo r t a significant inhibition of ca rc inoma and lymphosarcoma growth i n m i c e mainta ined on 4070D 2 0 drinking wate r . This produced a bodywate r deu te r ium oxide concentra t ion of about 2070~ More recent ly , Weibberger and P o r t e r 6 T and Holm-Hansen, Moses , and Yarbe r ry ' have demonstra ted a n inhibition of algal reproduct ion a t deu te r ium wate r concentrat ions over about 3070. . s , "IL The work descr ibed i n th is paper was sponsored by the U. S. Atomic Energy Commiss ion . i ~ r e s nt a d d r e s s : Department of Chemis t ry , Universi ty of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado. b. S. Publ ic Health Service predoctoral fellow, Depar tment of Biochemis t ry , Universi ty of California, Berkeley 4, California.