[Myocardial disease caused by adriamycin. Experimental animal models and possible pharmacologic prevention]

Adriamycin (ADR) is one of the most useful drugs in oncologic practice; it is effective not only against leukemias and lymphomas, but also against many solid tumors. A severe, frequent and dose dependent cardiomyopathy (CMP) limits its clinical use, therefore the cumulative dose usually administered is less than 550 mg/m2; however this procedure limits the therapeutic effectiveness of the drug. As this substance causes regression of a variety of neoplasms, during the past years a number of authors have studied the pathogenesis of the CMP. Data available on this subject are numerous but often in contrast. This review considers the experimental animal models used to study drug induced CMP; data on the biochemical mechanism underlying this complication and the efficacy of different antidotal procedures are also reviewed.