Enhancement of the therapeutic effectiveness of methotrexate and protection of normal proliferating tissues with purines and pyrimidines.

Mice can be protected against the toxicity arising from lethal doses of methotrexate with purine and pyrimidine combinations, but not with pyrimidine alone. Furthermore, methotrexate treatment of tumour-bearing mice, conjunction with purine/pyrimidine protection, can be more effective than conventional metotrexate/folinic acid treatment.