Cytostatic effect of 9-(2-phosphonomethoxyethyl) adenine (PMEA). II. Lymphoblastic leukemia in Sprague-Dawley rats.

Two cases of spontaneous acute lymphoblastic leukemia in the inbred strain of Sprague-Dawley (Prague) rats have been observed. Since its reliable transplantability in syngeneic recipients was established, leukemic animals were used to test the cytostatic effect of PMEA. The treatment resulted in a significant prolongation of survival time of the treated animals. At the same time histological examination of PMEA-treated and untreated animals indicated that the drug effectively slows down the growth of lymphoma at the site of inoculation and inhibits the subsequent progression of tumor cells in the lung, liver, spleen and lymph nodes.