John Caffey Award: chemotherapy-induced inhibition of compensatory renal growth in the immature mouse.

Minimal-lethal-doses (LD1/21) of Actinomycin-D (AMD), Vincristine (VCR), or Adriamycin (ADR) inhibited compensatory renal growth in unilaterally nephrectomized weanling mice. AMD transiently inhibited compensatory renal and body growth. VCR transiently inhibited kidney growth only, while ADR produced persistent kidney and body growth inhibition. 3H thymidine uptake was decreased at 5 days from controls with AMD and ADR, and increased at 14 days from controls with ADM, VCR, and ADR. Kidney DNA concentration was increased from controls at 3 days with AMD and at 8 and 14 days with ADR, but decreased from controls of 8 days with AMD and VCR. AMD and ADR inhibit compensatory renal growth and body growth in the immature mouse. VCR selectively inhibits renal growth. Renal growth inhibition with AMD, VCR, and ADR is related, in part, to a delay in the renal mitotic response to contralateral nephrectomy, and with AMD and ADR to generalized body growth supression. Chemotherapy injury to the growing mammalian kidney may be manifest as growth inhibition.