Adriamycin-induced changes of creatine kinase activity in vivo and in cardiomyocyte culture

Adriamycin (ADM) is an anthracycline anti-neoplastic agent, whose clinical effectiveness is limited by severe Side effects, including cardiotoxicity. The toxic effects of ADM are likely to be the consequence of the generation of free radicals. This study demonstrates that ADM induces significant cha nges in the activity of the oxidative sensitive enzyme creatine kinase (CK) in the heart in vivo and in a cardiomyocyte culture model. The changes obs erved are likely to reflect the ability of ADM to damage the plasma membran e of cardiac cells and to induce the direct inactivation of CK. The role fo r ADM-derived free radicals is one of the possible mechanisms for the CK in activation observed during the ADM treatment. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ire land Ltd. All rights reserved.