Studies on the urotoxicity of oxazaphosphorine cytostatics and its prevention--III. Profile of action of sodium 2-mercaptoethane sulfonate (mesna).

Mesna is a pharmacologically unremarkable, physiologically largely inert and almost totally non-toxic thio compound. It is rapidly eliminated renally and only slightly permeates into tissues. It has been shown experimentally that the bladder damage inducible in the rat by administration of oxazaphosphorine cytostatics can be successfully prevented by quite small doses of mesna. The detoxifying action of mesna is limited to the kidneys and the efferent urinary tract. The systemic effects of the oxazaphosphorines, however, remain unaffected. This applies particularly to the curative oncocidal efficacy of these compounds. It has also been shown experimentally that mesna does not affect the curative effects of other cytostatic drugs (doxorubicin, BCNU, methotrexate, vincristine). The efficacy of the cardiac glycoside proscillaridin is also not impaired by mesna.