Reduction of lethal toxicity of doxorubicin by amrinone.

Administration of amrinone, a new inotropic agent, markedly reduced acute lethal toxicity in normal female Swiss and male BALB/c mice given lethal doses of doxorubicin. Because amrinone abolished the negative inotropic effect of doxorubicin in isolated guinea pig atria, it was suggested that partial protection from acute toxicity of the antitumor antibiotic is directly related to protection of cardiac function.