1987 Volume 78 Issue 7 Pages 729-736
The chorioallantoic membrane of chick embryo was used to examine the chemosensitivity of the murine tumors, B16-F1 melanoma, B16-F10 melanoma, Meth-A fibrosarcoma, and Ehrlich carcinoma. The tumors were grown on the membrane, and the effects of 1-(4-amino-2-methyl-5-pyrimidinyl)methyl-3-(2-chloroethyl)-3-nitrosourea hydrochloride, cyclophosphamide, dacarbazine, 5-fluorouracil, methotrexate, adriamycin, mitomycin C, vincristine, and cisplatin on the growth of the tumors were tested by iv injection into a vein of the chorioallantoic membrane or injection into the yolk sac. The use of chick embryo limits the time for drug exposure to 3 or 4 days, but Ehrlich carcinoma and Meth-A fibrosarcoma needed longer for the test; the use of irradiation from a cobalt source overcame the problem by increasing the growth rate of the grafts of these two tumors. There appeared to be a good correlation between the effects of the drugs on B16 melanomas grown in the eggs and in the original animals. Many compounds, including pro-drugs such as cyclophosphamide and dacarbazine, could be assayed in this way.
