Interaction between heparin and adriamycin in mice bearing the Lewis lung carcinoma

The investigation was prompted by the observation that adriamycin can interact with heparin in vitro and reduces its anticoagulant activity in ex vivo tests in humans. The possible interactions between these two drugs were studied in C57Bl/6J mice bearing the Lewis Lung Carcinoma (3LL). The anticoagulant activity of heparin was temporarily reduced by concomitant treatment with adriamycin, as indicated by both activated partial thromboplastin times and blood recalcification times. In contrast, no changes were found in the kinetics of adriamycin disappearance from blood and accumulation in tissues if mice had been pretreated with heparin. Moreover, the effect of adriamycin on tumour and metastasis growth was unchanged by the association with the anticoagulant. These data indicate that the short-lived interaction between adriamycin and heparin, which can be documented by coagulation tests, does not necessarily involve a modification in the anticancer activity of the anthracycline.