Uptake of adriamycin in tumour and surrounding brain tissue in patients with malignant gliomas.

Eight patients with malignant gliomas verified on CT scan, received an intravenous injection of 50 mg of Adriamycin R, 24 hours prior to surgical removal of the tumour. Peroperatively, both tumour and surrounding tissue specimens were obtained for determination of the tissue concentrations of Adriamycin and its reduced metabolite Adriamycinol. It was found that Adriamycin could be detected in tumour tissue from all patients. The concentration varied between 0.9 and 4.6 nmol/g tissue. In contrast, Adriamycin could only be detected in surrounding brain tissue from one patient. In an in vitro study a human malignant glioma cell line (U-251 MG) was exposed to various concentrations of Adriamycin for 24 hours. It was found that an intracellular drug concentration above 30 nmol/g cells caused a concentration dependent inhibition of cell growth. Thus, it is likely that the poor effect of Adriamycin on patients with malignant gliomas is due to an ineffective drug accumulation in the tumour tissue.

Iron status in athletes involved in intense physical activity.

Iron status was studied in 8 long distance runners. Training programs, diets, and general health were also investigated over a period of at least 2 years. Hemoglobin and serum iron did not differ from normals whereas bone marrow showed either an absence or only traces of iron indicating latent iron deficiency. Radio iron studies of heme and non-heme iron absorption and incorporation showed rather low values. However, they did not differ significantly from normal values. Whole body counting studies during 10 months showed increased elimination of radio iron corresponding to 2 mg iron/day. Due to a high daily iron intake, a balance was present. No signs of bleeding, hemolysis, or increased excretion of hemoglobin via the urine could be found. The low aborption and increased elimination of iron seems to be the explanation for the empty iron stores.

Changes in certain iron metabolism variables after a single blood donation.

Signs of iron deficiency have been studied after the first blood donation in 11 healthy men. Six were given 100 mg iron daily, and five received placebo tablets. The total iron-binding capacity and iron absoprtion remained raised for more than 26 days, but had almost returned to the initial values after 70 days. A significant decrease in the stainable bone marrow iron could be shown in all subjects after 26 days; later some restitution was seen in subjects given iron supplements, but not in those given placebo. As the restitution times are long, the interval after blood donation must be taken into account when judging iron metabolism variables in active donors.

[Iron supplement to blood donors. II. Effect of continuous iron supply].

Seventeen conscripts gave blood every second month, the amount representing an average iron loss of 3.5 mg daily. Seven of them were given 20 mg and ten 100 mg iron as ferrous carbonate once daily throughout the study. Before the first and after the fourth and sixth blood donations they were examined with regard to packed red cell volume, serum iron, total iron-binding capacity and stainable bone marrow iron, and a diagnostic iron absoprtion test was performed. Ten conscripts receiving no iron and giving no blood but comparable to those in the test groups with regard to age, exercise and diet served as controls. The stainable bone marrow iron was found to become stabilized at a level with reduced but still perceptible amounts when 20 mg iron was given, and at a level with somewhat greater amounts when the daily dose was 100 mg. Both levels were lower than before blood donation in most subjects, and the negative iron balance was also reflected in the diagnostic iron absorption test. When a healthy person loses 3.5 mg iron daily, supplementation with a 100 mg tablet per day is therefore insufficient to maintain the iron stores at their previous level. The decrease in storage iron is not progressive, however. When the storage iron is reduced, iron absorption seems to be stimulated sufficiently to establish a balance at a reduced storage iron level.