Chronic toxicity of adriamycin: A new antineoplastic antibiotic

Adriamycin, a new antitumor antibiotic, was administered for 3 mo to rabbits and dogs by iv injection of daily single doses of 0.125, 0.250 and 0.5 mg/kg body weight. The lowest dose caused neither mortality nor any sign of toxicity with reference to body weight, blood picture and function and morphology of the liver, kidneys, heart and skin and its appendages. The testis presented some inhibition of spermatogenesis. With the higher doses the following were observed: mortality, hemorrhagic enterocolitis, arrest or reduction of body growth, alopecia and melanosis (dog), total depression of hemopoiesis with particular damage to the platelets, blood coagulation changes, hypoproteinemia, hyperazotemia, morphologic renal damage (rabbit) and depression of spermatogenesis. From the toxicologic point of view, the product behaves as a typical inhibitor of cellular reproduction. Damage to the most actively proliferating tissues was more prevalent and occurred earlier with respect to parenchymal damage.