A comparative study of acute toxicity of drugs used during anticancer therapy in healthy and tumor-bearing mice.

A comparative study was performed, in healthy and Ehrlich ascites bearing mice, to ascertain if the acute toxicity of drugs can change in disease conditions. Adriamycin, cis-platinum, cyclophosphamide, 5-fluorouracil, vinblastine, morphine and cefoxitin were administered intravenously; prochlorperazine and acetylsalicylic acid were given orally, and dexamethasone and lonidamine were given by both routes. With the exception of morphine, the LD50's significantly decreased in tumor bearing animals. The highest potency ratios (about 4-6) were observed with prochlorperazine and cyclophosphamide and the lowest (1.3-1.4) with lonidamine given intravenously, adriamycin and acetylsalicylic acid. These results confirm that the toxic response may be strongly influenced by pathological states.