Abstract
It is well known that the calcium in the serum of tumor-bearing animal is normal in the early stage, then gradually decreases from the middle to the last stage.
Examination of the literature revealed that the growth of the tumor cells was controlled by the quantity of calcium, and that the survival time of the tumor-bearing animal was prolonged by feeding or medication of calcium, but shortened by eliminating it.
Observations were made upon relations between survival time and calcium metabolism of tumor-bearing animals by means of administrating solely EDTA-2 Na for decalcifying purposes, then Mitomycin C (M-C) with together.
“Ascites hepatoma cells AH-130” were used on a group of rats, and they were all dead in an average of 14 days after the injection, The serum calcium was decreased in the early stage, and after increasing temporarily, decreased again in the middle stage, and then decreased remarkably at the last stage.
Then “Ehrlich ascites tumor cells” were used on a group of mice. At this time, the average survival time was 17 adys. Injecting subcutaneously 0.2mg/g of EDTA-2 Na to those tumor-bearing mice every day for six days, the average survival time was shortened to 13.6 days, on the other hand, by the injection into the abdominal cavity of 0.2γ/g M-C per day for six days, it was prolonged to 23.4 days. However, when both drugs were used together it was 19.4 days. The serum calcium increased again, after decreasing temporarily, regardless of the injection of EDTA-2 Na or a great quantity of M-C. Also when 0.2mg/g of EDTA-2Na and 0.2γ/g of M-C were used continuously every day, a quantity of calcium was recovered after the decreasing. By this fact, there seems to be not much difference of the effects on the calcium metabolism between the two drugs.
From the above observations, it is understood that those decalcifying drugs shortened the survival time of the test animals, nevertheless it cannot be affirmed that it was caused by the decalcifying effects of the drugs.
