[Changes of anticancer activity and pulmonary toxicity of bleomycins in differences of administration schedules and routes in mice].

Anticancer activity and pulmonary toxicity of bleomycin and peplomycin in mice were found to be dependent on administration schedules and routes. That is, at the same total dose of 50 mg/kg, the anticancer activity against Lewis lung carcinoma was most strongly exhibited by continuous infusion of peplomycin for 7 days among all schedules tested and decreased in the order of the continuous infusion greater than 4 times injections per day for 10 days greater than daily injection for 10 days greater than daily injection for 2 days. In contrast, the pulmonary toxicity occurred lowest in the continuous infusion and strongest in daily injection for 10 days among the schedules. With respect to administration routes, the anticancer activity and the pulmonary toxicity of them were strongly exhibited in the order of i.v. much greater than i.m. greater than s.c. greater than i.p., except that no route dependency was observed in the continuous infusion. The pulmonary toxicity of peplomycin was lower than that of bleomycin in every administration schedules and routes. From these results, the continuous infusion was concluded to be the best schedule to increase the anticancer activity and to reduce the pulmonary toxicity.