[Toxicological studies on pepleomycin sulfate (NK631). III. Subacute toxicity of pepleomycin in dogs (author's transl)].

Subacute toxicity and its recovery of pepleomycin sulfate was studied in both sexes of beagle dogs. At dose levels of 2.4, 1.2 and 0.6 mg/kg, pepleomycin was administered intramuscularly to dogs for 30 successive days. Two dogs of the 1.2 mg/kg dose group were used for recovery test for 35 days. As general symptoms, the decrease of food intake, the loss of body weight, ulceration of foot pad, nail root necrosis and onychoptosic, ulcer of tongue and labia, and alopecia, dermatitis and necrosis at friction sites were observed the more severely in high dose groups, as those in bleomycin were. The death occurred in the 2.4 mg/kg dose group of both sexes. The lesions of liver and kidney were recognized in the 2.4 and 1.2 mg/kg dose groups of both sexes on biochemical, histopathological or urinary findings. Additionally slight fibrous change of lung was observed in all dose groups. Generally subacute toxicity of pepleomycin was revealed approximately in the same as or in a little stronger degree than that of bleomycin, and its recovery was hardly recognized during its period. The maximum safety dose in this studies is estimated to be between 0.3 and 0.6 mg/kg in dogs.