The pharmacokinetics of single high doses of dexamethasone in cancer patients.

We have given single high doses of dexamethasone phosphate by intravenous infusion as an antiemetic to 15 cancer patients receiving regimens containing cisplatin and/or doxorubicin. The patients received graded doses of dexamethasone phosphate, in the range 40-200 mg, dependent upon nausea and vomiting scores, during up to three consecutive cycles of cancer chemotherapy. Plasma and urine concentrations of dexamethasone (dexamethasone alcohol) were measured by HPLC.

Phagocytic activity of alveolar macrophages in patients with bronchogenic carcinoma.

Human bronchoalveolar cells were obtained by lavage during diagnostic fiberoptic bronchoscopy of 21 patients suspected of having lung malignancies. Of these patients 11 were diagnosed as having primary lung cancer (Group I) and included individuals with squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, undifferentiated large and oat cell carcinoma at varying locations and TNM stages, 4 patients demonstrated nonprimary metastatic carcinoma (Group II), and 6 patients did not reveal detectable tumors by bronchoscopy or follow-up (Group III) and were included as study controls. We examined the ability of pulmonary alveolar macrophages (PAMs) lavaged from patients in each of the three study groups to phagocytose opsonized sheep red blood cells.

Effects of microsomal enzyme induction on toxicity of p-N, N-bis (2-chloroethyl)aminophenyl alkyl ethers in mice and survival times in L-1210 leukemic mice.

Four alkyl ethers of p-N,N-bis(2-chloroethyl)aminophenol were selected to study the effects of microsomal enzyme induction by phenobarbital on the toxicity changes as reflected by LD50 and alteration of survival times in L-1210 leukemic mice. In the phenobarbital pretreated mice the LD50 for the ethyl ether of p-N,N-bis(2-chloroethyl)aminophenol was decreased from 1641 to 1213 microns/kg. This result suggests that O-dealkylation is the major metabolic pathway.

Synthesis and bioevaluation of a series of fatty acid esters of p-[N,N-bis(2-chloroethyl)amino]phenol.

A series of even numbered fatty acid esters (C2-C18) of p-[N,N-bis(2-chloroethyl)amino]phenol were synthesized and evaluated as to acute toxicity as well as effectiveness against L-1210 mouse leukemia. The acetate through the decanoate derivatives demonstrated toxicity between 2 and 3 times that of phenol mustard in HA/ICR mice. The less soluble laurate, myristate, palmitate, and stearate derivatives were less toxic.

Synthesis and bioevaluation of a series of alkyl ethers of p-N,N-bis(2-chloroethyl)aminophenol.

A series of even numbered normal alkyl ethers (C2-C14) of p-N,N-bis(2-chloroethyl)aminophenol were synthesized and evaluated as to acute toxicity in mice and effects on survival in L-1210 leukemic mice. All of the ether derivatives demonstrated significantly lower acute toxicity than the parent phenol mustard. Significant survival times (greater than or equal to 125%) were obtained with all compounds except the hexyl derivative.