Cardiotoxic and possible leukemogenic effects of adriamycin in nonhuman primates.
10 monkeys (macaques) received adriamycin by monthly intravenous injections at 12 mg/m2 (1 mg/kg). 8 of the 10 monkeys developed congestive heart failure at an average cumulative adriamycin dose (310 mg/m2) well below that considered the safe upper limit (550 mg/m2) in man. Histologically, the myocardial lesions resembled those found in human anthracycline-induced cardiomyopathy. 1 of the 10 monkeys developed acute myeloblastic leukemia after receiving 324 mg/m2 of adriamycin; the 10th monkey is alive and well 26 months after the last dose of drug. Our results suggest that adriamycin is a more potent cardiotoxin in monkeys than in man, and that leukemia may be a consequence of prolonged treatment with this drug.
D000818:Animals; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology; D002521:Cercopithecus; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000633:toxicity*; D000882:Haplorhini; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced*; D007938:Leukemia / Q000139:chemically induced*; D008252:Macaca fascicularis; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D013997:Time Factors
D004317:Doxorubicin