A comparative study of the effects of anti-tumour and immunosuppressive drugs on antibody-forming and erythropoietic cells

Abstract

Immunosuppressive and erythroid cell line depressing activities of various agents used in cancer chemotherapy were investigated simultaneously in the same mice and compared to X-Rays. Vincristine, vinblastine, mitomycin C and actinomycin D had greater effects on erythropoiesis than on antibody-forming cells. By contrast, the immunosuppressive effects of cyclophosphamide, demecolcine and methotrexate exceeded markedly their erythropoietic toxicity. The Vinca alkaloids stimulated the secondary immune response, whereas X-Rays, antilymphocytic serum and the methylhydrazine derivatives inhibited the anamnestic response to a greater extent than the primary immune response.