A pharmacokinetic evaluation of free and DNA-complexed adriamycin: a preliminary study in children with malignant disease.

The pharmacokinetics of adriamycin given as free and in DNA-complexed form was compared in six children with malignant disease. The two types of adriamycin were given to the same child at 3--4-week intervals, thereby excluding genetic variations when comparing the results. Plasma and urine were collected during and after the drug infusion, and the drug concentrations were measured by means of a sensitive fluorimetric procedure. The study shows that one obtains: 1. a much higher plasma concentration of adriamycin when it is given in the complexed form. 2. a lower urine excretion of adriamycin and fluorescent metabolites when adriamycin is administered as the DNA-complex.