Late effects of cyclophosphamide treatment of neonatal mice

Swiss mice surviving early onset of wasting disease at 4-6 weeks following cyclophosphamide administration at birth suffer from delayed effects of this immunosuppressive drug. The late wasting syndrome developing at 6-8 months post-inoculation is characterized clinically by loss of weight, hunched posture, ruffled fur and diarrhoea. Lymphocyte and granulocyte levels are raised. The lymphocyte/granulocyte ratio is significantly inhibited. The development of various pathological lesions in thymus, spleen, lymph nodes and bone-marrow is frequently observed. Infiltration of lymphoid tissue in lungs, liver and kidneys is a common feature. It is hoped that further experimental studies would provide more insight into the delayed adverse effects of cyclophosphamide therapy.