• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.46 no.9
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• pp.876-882
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• 2003

Purpose : To find out the myocardial protective effect of cardioxane for the myocardial damage by doxorubicin. Methods : Using Eighteen rabbits(2.0-3.2 kg), doxorubicin($30mg/m^2$) was injected intravenously once a week in group I(12 rabbits) and cardioxane($600mg/m^2$) was injected at 20-30 minutes before doxorubicin administration in group II(6 rabbits). After this, we operated on the rabbits when the total cumulative dose of doxorubicin was reached at 210, 240, 270 and $300mg/m^2$ and observed the degree of myocardial damage with light and electronic microscope. Results : In group I, rabbits with less than $210mg/m^2$ of total cumulative dose of doxorubicin, there was no definite myocardial damage but with $240mg/m^2$, focal degenerative change was observed and with $300mg/m^2$, severe degenerative change was detected with light microscopic examination. With electronic microscope, rabbits with less than $180mg/m^2$ of total cumulative dose of doxorubicin in group I, there was no evidence of myocardial damage. In $210mg/m^2$, focal degenerative change was detected. With $240mg/m^2$, degenerative change was much more advanced and with $300mg/m^2$, severe degenerative change was detected. In group II, no definite myocardial damage was observed even though the total cumulative dose of doxorubicin reached $300mg/m^2$, but with $360mg/m^2$, there was a focal area where myocardial fibers were somewhat decreased, but it's difficult to say whether these decrement were due to adriamycin in the electronic microscopic examination. Conclusion : Cardioxane have a good protective effect for the doxorubicin induced cardiomyopathy and it will be used safely in pediatric cancer patients.