Antitumor Effects of Desmopressin in Combination with Chemotherapeutic Agents in a Mouse Model of Breast Cancer

The vasopressin peptide analog desmopressin has been used during surgery to prevent bleeding in patients with coagulation defects. Recent experimental and clinical data revealed that perioperative desmopressin therapy can minimize the spread and survival of residual cancer cells. Here, we explored the antitumor effects of desmopressin in combination with chemotherapeutic agents using the F3II mammary carcinoma in syngeneic Balb/c mice. Intravenous administration of desmopressin at a dose of 2 mu g/kg together with weekly cycles of carmustine (20 mg/kg) prevented primary tumor infiltration of the skin. Combination of desmopressin with paclitaxel (25 mg/kg) significantly reduced metastatic progression to the lung. Although desmopressin had an antiproliferative effect on F3II cells, in vitro studies did not demonstrate an enhanced cytotoxicity with chemotherapy. Our results suggest that desmopressin may contribute to impair aggressiveness of residual mammary tumors during chemotherapy.