This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Vecchi, A. Articles by Spreafico, F. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Vecchi, A. Articles by Spreafico, F.

A Characterization of the Immunosuppressive Activity of Adriamycin and Daunomycin on Humoral Antibody Production and Tumor Allograft Rejection¹

Istituto di Richerche Farmacologiche "Mario Negri,", Via Erirtea 62, 20157 Milan, Italy

The effects of adriamycin (AM) and its analog daunomycin (DM) on immunological responsiveness have been investigated in an effort to elucidate whether a differential interaction of the two drugs with the immune system could play a role in the higher antineoplastic activity of AM. It was found that AM induced a greater reduction in the number of antibody-producing cells after primary stimulation with sheep erythrocytes, whereas DM was more suppressive on the secondary response to the same antigen. Primary reactivity to the T-independent antigen S-III was reduced by AM, whereas DM was ineffective in the same conditions even at high doses. In addition, when a tumor allograft model was investigated, DM was significantly more immunosuppressive than was AM administered at equitoxic doses.

In contrast, these agents displayed similar activity in reducing bone marrow stem cells and in inhibiting DNA synthesis in this organ. The possibility that the different immunosuppressive capacity of AM and DM contributes to the greater antitumoral activity of the former is advanced.

¹ This work was supported by Contract NIH-NCI-C-72-3242.

² Partially supported by a fellowship from the Anna Villa Rusconi Foundation.

³ To whom correspondence and reprint requests should be addressed, at Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Chemotherapy, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche "Mario Negri," Via Eritrea 62, 20157 Milan, Italy.

Received 8/ 6/75. Accepted 12/16/75.