We assessed the inhibitory action of TNP-470 on lymph node metastasis in a metastatic model system using athymic nude mice. Mice were injected subcutaneously with 5 x 10(6) HT-1080 cells in the right groin. TNP-470 (10, 30 and 100 mg kg-1) was injected subcutaneously nine times in total every other day from the 7th day after tumour inoculation. Axillar and inguinal lymph nodes were dissected, and DNA was extracted 5 weeks after tumour inoculation. Specific detection of a human beta-globin-related sequence in metastasized human tumour cells in nude mice was done by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique and analysed by Southern blotting. Anti-tumour effects on primary sites were seen only in the 100 mg kg-1 treatment group. Lymph node metastasis of transplanted HT-1080 cells was seen in all mice of the no treatment group (5/5). On the other hand, incidences of lymph node metastasis in treated mice were 2/4 mice (100 mg kg-1, 2/5 mice (30 mg kg-1) and 4/5 mice (10 mg kg-1). The inhibition ratios of lymph node metastasis were 82.3% at 10 mg kg-1, 97.2% at 30 mg kg-1 and 97.5% at 100 mg kg-1 respectively. This agent may be useful to inhibit lymph node metastasis.