Antitumor tests of amygdalin in transplantable animal tumor systems.

Except for oral administration, there was no grossly observed toxicity from carefully administered high doses of amygdalin in the experimental systems used. The compound in high doses was ineffective against the DMBA-induced rat mammary carcinoma and the following transplanted experimental tumors: Sarcoma 180, plasma cell tumor LPC-1, leukemia L1210, Mecca lymphosarcoma, Ridgway osteogenic sarcoma, sarcoma T241, mammary carcinoma E0771, Taper liver tumor, Ehrlich carcinoma (solid and ascites), and Walker carcinosarcoma 256. Amygdalin did not noticeably influence the toxicity or impair the efficacy of these chemotherapeutic agents in their respective systems: Cytosine arabinoside, methotrexate, cytoxan, or 5-fluorouracil in L1210; the latter two in LPC-1; 6-mercaptopurine in Ridgway osteogenic sarcoma; estradiol-17beta or 2alpha-methyldihydrotestosterone propionate in the DMBA-induced rat mammary carcinoma.