Pathogenesis of wasting disease after cyclophosphamide treatment of neonatal mice.

Cyclophosphamide is a potent immunosuppressive agent and is being widely used in organ transplantation. The effects of this anti-rejection drug on lymphoid organs are poorly understood. Newborn Swiss mice injected with various doses of cyclophosphamide suffered from wasting disease at 4 weeks post treatment. The incidence of wasting disease was dose dependent. Haematological picture of the wasting animals revealed leukocytosis of variable degree. Lymphocyte/granulocyte ratio was not inhibited. The cyclophosphamide treatment caused shrinkage of lymphoid organs. Bone marrow showed degeneration of haematopoietic cells. The failure to sustain lymphopoiesis by the potential lymphoid sites following cyclophosphamide treatment and the associated immunological insufficiency resulted in the fatal wasting disease.