[Study of the inhibition produced by adriamycin against specific enzymes in the rat heart].

Adriamycin is used for the treatment of leukemia and other neoplastic processes. Unfortunately the drug has a toxic effect on some tissues. Cardiotoxicity in particular limits the use of the drug. Several hypotheses have been given to explain adriamycin heart toxicity. The authors have studied the effect of the drug on the enzymes isocitrate dehydrogenase-NADP, malic enzyme, 6-P-gluconate dehydrogenase, malic dehydrogenase-NAD+, hexokinase, and phosphofructokinase. They observed that adriamycin inhibits the NADP-dependent enzymes, and that the sulfhydryl group of the enzymes may be involved in the inhibitory action of adriamycin.