Tissue disposition of doxorubicin in experimental animals

Doxorubicin was administered via peripheral vein to rabbits with or without VX-2 carcinoma and to rats with 13762 mammary adenocarcinoma. In rabbits, the doxorubicin tissue levels showed a decreasing order as follows: kidney, spleen, lung, heart, marrow, liver, gut, tumor, muscle, and fat. In rats, the order of doxorubicin concentration in organs from high to low appeared similar, except lung concentration was closer to spleen and kidney; and doxorubicin level in fat was higher than that in muscle. When different doses of doxorubicin were given, the tissue concentrations were proportional to the dose. At 24 hr after administration, the concentration of doxorubicin in liver was much higher in rats that received the drug injected directly into the hepatic artery or mesenteric-portal vein than in those that received the drug via the peripheral vein. In the discussions, our results in rats and rabbits were compared with what had been reported in the literature of tissue uptake studies in mice, dogs, and patients.