Ascites-producing tumoral cells of the L1210 line were inoculated to syngenic mice. The gain in body weight and survival time were measured in untreated animals and mice injected intraperitoneally 1, 5 and 9 days after the administration of the tumoral cells with 5-fluorouracil (20-200 microg/g body wt.) and/or 2-deoxy-D-glucose tetraacetate (75 or 1,350 microg/g body wt.). The two agents failed to affect adversely the growth of control mice not inoculated with the tumoral cells. 5-fluorouracil caused a dose-related decrease in the body weight gain caused by the occurrence of the tumoral ascites and a dose-related prolongation of survival time. Although 2-deoxy-D-glucose tetraacetate, when tested in the low dose of 75 microg/g body weight opposed the effect of 5-fluorouracil on survival time, a higher dose of the ester (1,350 microg/g body weight) potentiated the effect of 5-fluorouracil to both decrease body weight gain and increase survival time. It is proposed, therefore, that 2-deoxy-D-glucose tetraacetate could be used to increase the cytostatic action of classical chemotherapeutic agents in the treatment of neoplastic diseases.

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