Comparative study of the effects of treatment with diethyleneiminebenzoquinone and its polymer complex with polyvinylpyrrolidone on the primary response of mice to sheep red blood cells.

The primary response of BALB/c mice to sheep red blood cells was used to study comparatively the time-dependent effects of a 5-day course of treatment with equivalent doses (0.8 mg/kg of body weight every day) of the cytotoxic agent diethyleneiminebenzoquinone (DEiBq) and its polymer complex with polyvinylpyrrolidone (DEiBqPVP). The experimental results show that in contrast to treatment with DEiBq, the ability of treated mice to establish a specific immune response was not markedly impaired during the treatment with DEiBqPVP. The possible significance of these results is considered with reference to the use of the synthetic polymer PVP as a carrier of cytotoxic groups in experimental cancer chemotherapy.