[Experimental study of the antitumor anthracycline antibiotic aclarubicin (aclacinomycin A)].

Aclarubicin (ACR) has a selective inhibitory effect on the synthesis of RNA in the cells. The time of the antibiotic contact with the cells is an important factor in realization of its cytotoxic activity. As compared to adriamycin, ACR has a low specific activity in lymphoid leukemia P388, melanoma B16 and lung cancer LL. The therapeutic efficacy of ACR depended on the scheme of its use: in treatment of rapidly proliferating tumors such as P388 the highest effect is attained with the daily use of the antibiotic for 9 days, in treatment of slowly developing melanoma B16 the results were more satisfactory with intermittent use of the drug on days 1, 5 and 9 after the strain transplantation. The new antibiotic was highly effective on its use either intravenously or orally.