Etude de l'effet immunodépresseur des composés chimiques utilisés en chimiothérapie anticancéreuse

The immuno-depressive effect of several compounds: antipurines, antifolics, antipyrimidines, alkylating agents, periwinkle alcaloids, mitomycin C, actinomycin D, puromycin, chloramphenicol, methylhydrazine, imidazoline terephtalanilide, methyl-glyoxal-bis (guanydrazone), epsilon-amino-caproic acid, has been studied in mice by a test including three different antigenic stimuli (human albumen, poliovirus, graft of allogenic skin). They were administered at an infralethal dose, related to the lethal dose in 6 days. The treatment lasted 20 days, ending or beginning on the antigenic day. The results show that, at equal toxicity, the different drugs tested have quite different immuno-depressive activities. Those which interfere with the DNA synthesis (antipurines, antifolics, mitomycin C) are particularly active when given before the antigenic stimulus, while cyclophosphamide and methyl-hydrazine are especially active after the antigenic stimulus. These results are discussed in relation with the mechanism of immuno-suppression by these products. The indications derived from these results concerning immuno-depressive treatments in Man, and destined at obtaining and maintaining tolerance to incompatible grafts and transplants, are considered.