Familiarity with different types of anti-cancer mechanisms can help to explain the tumor-inhibiting effect experienced in clinical trials. A better understanding and utilization of these and other mechanisms would make a more effective and targeted field of application possible. Avemar's anticancer effects were first demonstrated in animal experimental models which focused on tumor types widely used for the testing of anti-cancer agents, notably cytostatics. The results confirmed the evidence suggesting Avemar's anti-cancer activity.
Avemar significantly inhibited the formation of azoxymethane-induced colon tumors in F344 rats (Zalatnai et al., 2001). Azoxymethane, a carcinogenic agent, induces the formation of colon tumors in 4-week old inbred F344 rats. Four treatment groups were formed as follows: Group 1: untreated controls; Group 2: azoxymethane administered s.c.; Group 3: Avemar treatment started two weeks prior to the first injection of azoxymethane, with treatment continuing for 32 weeks; Group 4: Avemar administered without azoxymethane. At the end of the 32-week-long experimental period, the germination of the tumor cells was examined comparing the percentage of the animals that developed colon cancer in each group (=Value-1) and the number of tumor foci in each animal (as an average projected for the whole group = Value-2). The results were: Group 1: 0%, 0; Group 2: 83.0%, 2.3; Group 3: 44.8%, 1.3; Group 4: 0%, 0.
The difference in both the percentage and number of cancerous foci/per animal was significant between Groups 2 and 3 (p<0.001 and p<0.004, respectively). When the diameters of the tumor in animals in the groups treated with azoxymethane alone and those treated with the combination of Avemar and azoxymethane were compared, the difference was noted to be markedly significant (p<0.0001), in favor of the group treated with both compounds. To summarize, Avemar caused a marked and significant decrease (70%) in the number of malignant colon tumors which developed in test animals induced with the carcinogen azoxymethane.
