Interleukin 1 protects against 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine-induced alopecia in the newborn rat animal model.

Alopecia is one of the most psychologically distressing side effects of cancer chemotherapy. Previously, we made the following observations: (a) treatment of 8-day-old rats with 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (ara-C), doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide (CYC) consistently produced either total body alopecia (ara-C and CYC) or alopecia confined to the head and proximal part of the neck (doxorubicin); (b) Imuvert, a biological response modifier derived from the bacterium Serratia marcescens, uniformly produced complete protection against alopecia induced by ara-C and doxorubicin but not that induced by CYC; and (c) the protective effect of Imuvert against chemotherapy-induced alopecia is mediated by a monocyte-mediated cytokine. In the experiments reported here, interleukin 1 was examined as the potential cytokine. Interleukin 1 offered excellent protection against alopecia induced by ara-C but not that produced by CYC in the newborn rat animal model.