Inhibition of colony-forming cells from bone marrow of leukemic patients by 3-oxauracil.

An in vitro system of colony forming cell inhibition was used for evaluation of 3-oxauracil (2,3-dihydro-1,3-6H-oxazine-2,6-dione) effectivity against bone marrow cells from 18 leukemic patients. The highest inhibitive activity of the 3-oxauracil was found in cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia, comparing with bone marrow cells from patients with acute myeloblastic and chronic myeloid leukemia. According to the morphological characteristics of the formed colonies, lymphoblastic leukemia cells could be discerned from the myeloblastic ones in this system.