Effect of adriamycin on CFUGM at plasma concentrations found following therapeutic infusions.

The effect of adriamycin on human and mouse CFUGM was examined at concentrations and times suggested by plasma clearance data derived from the results of a number of published studies. Our results suggest that the high concentrations of drug present in the plasma for short periods of time following infusion are only weakly cytotoxic towards the CFUGM when incubated for similar times. In contrast, there was a considerably greater cytotoxic effect when the drug was examined at low concentrations for periods similar to those described for the terminal phase of adriamycin clearance. The principal metabolite, adriamycinol, was poorly cytotoxic.