title: Clinical and pharmacologic investigation of the effects of alpha-tocopherol on adriamycin cardiotoxicity.
abstract: Our data indicate that alpha-tocopherol used in an oral dose of 2 g/m2 daily results in a six- to eightfold increase of the vitamin E levels in serum. The occurrence of congestive heart failure in three patients and the observation of significant pathologic changes in endomyocardial biopsies in approximately half of the patients treated with a median cumulative adriamycin dose level of 550 mg/m2 indicate that alpha-tocopherol does not offer substantial protection against adriamycin-induced cardiac toxicity. The antitumor activity of the drug, however, is not compromised by the concomitant administration of the vitamin.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D014812:Vitamin K / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D014812:Vitamin K; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D005472:Fluorouracil