[Comparative evaluation of the cytogenetic action of anthracycline-group antitumor antibiotics (daunomycin, doxorubicin and carminomycin)].

The cytogenetic effect of antitumor antibiotics of the anthracycline group was studied with the use of the routine analysis of chromosomes in the metaphase plates of the bone marrow cells and the micronuclear test (the procedure of counting erythrocytes with micronuclei in peripheral blood). It was shown that by the level of the mutagenic effect the antibiotics might be arranged as follows with respect to the decrease in their activity: carminomycin----doxorubicin----daunomycin. The micronuclear test provided estimation of the cytogenetic damage of the bone marrow. In this connection the procedure may be recommended for rapid evaluation of the mutagenic effect of various anthracyclines and probably other cytostatics characterized by mutagenic activity.