[Tissue specificity of the action of bleomycin. Autoradiographic studies]

The proliferative activity of different types of murine tissue up to 72 h after a single dose of bleomycin was studied via histoautoradiography to determine whether bleomycin has a tissue-specific effect. Bleomycin apparently not only has a general cytotoxic and/or cytostatic action, the strongest being on tissue with a high proliferation rate, but also, as a comparison of the effect of bleomycin on the proliferative activity of squamous epithelium (plantar region, tail, skin, esophagus, tongue) and of mucosal epithelium (stomach, ileum, colon) has indicated, the proliferative activity of squamous epithelium is impaired to a greater extent. This, therefore, distinguishes bleomycin from many other substances used in tumor therapy.