[Myelotoxicity of epirubicin]. / O mielotoksichnosti épirubitsina.

Epirubicin (pharmorubicin, India), an antitumor antibiotic of the anthracycline group, was studied in regard to its effect on peripheral blood, bone marrow and lymphoid organs (the thymus and spleen) of CBA mice after its intraperitoneal administration in a single dose equal to the MIC (7.8 mg/kg) and in a course dose (1/5 of the MIC 5 times a day). The cytogenetic impairments induced by the cytostatic were estimated on metaphase plates with the bone marrow specimens and by counting the peripheral blood erythrocytes with micronuclei (the micronuclear test). It was shown that epirubicin induced cytogenetic disturbances in the hemopoietic cells within the first 72 hours. The antibiotic had a marked reversible effect on the erythroid population and lymphoid tissues and a moderate toxic action on the granulocyte population. The antibiotic did not affect thrombocytopoiesis. The single administrations had a more pronounced and prolonged myelotoxic and lymphotropic effect.

[Effect of carminomycin on bone marrow cell proliferative activity and differentiation rate]. / Vliianie karminomitsina na proliferativnuiu aktivnost' i skorost' differentsirovki kletok kostnogo mozga.

Autoradiographic investigations with the use of 3H-thymidine were performed on 140 noninbred albino rats. The fate of the label in the cells of the myeloid series was followed in the experimental and control groups. The animals of the experimental group were treated with carminomycin in the LD50 30 minutes after injecion of 3H-thymidine. The mitotic cycle of the nondifferentiated cells and promyelocytes + myelocytes in the control animals was equal to 24 hours, the period and rate of the metamyelocyte maturation being 10 hours and 0.81 per cent/hour respectively. The mitotic cycle of the nondifferentiated cells and promyelocytes + myelocytes during the first division after carminomycin administration increased up to 48 hours due to the block of G2-period, the period and rate of the metamyelocyte maturation being 18 hours and 0.43 per cent/hour respectively. The myelotoxic effect of carminomycin was due to the damage of the dividing cells in G2-period of the mitotic cycle, decreased rate of differentiation and death of the cells after or during the first and second divisions.