Effects of p-phenylenediamines and adriamycin on primary culture of rat skeletal muscle cells.

In vitro toxicity of p-phenylenediamine derivatives and adriamycin were examined using cultured rat myofibers prepared by the selective plating method, with slight modification. When the myofibers were cultured for 2 days with 100 microM N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl p-phenylenediamine, atrophy and/or swelling of the cells were observed, and the toxic effect was reduced as the number of N-methyl groups in the phenylenediamine molecule was decreased. Adriamycin, at concentrations of greater than 0.25 microM, caused cell injury. Decline of cellular creatine phosphokinase activities generally preceded the apparent morphological changes. The primary culture of rat myofibers responded sensitively to the agents which were myotoxic in vivo.