Effects of methotrexate and cyclophosphamide on polyamine levels in various tissues of rats

The effects of methotrexate (MTX) and cyclophosphamide (CYP) on body weight , organ weight, and the concentration of putrescine, spermidine, and spermi ne in 14 different tissues were measured in rats that had been given these compounds for 5 consecutive days, These three polyamines in both the thymus and spleen of rats treated with MTX and CYP showed a statistically signifi cant decrease. Further, putrescine in the seminal vesicles, kidney, liver, and small intestine of MTX-treated rats, and in the prostate, seminal vesic les, kidney, heart, liver, small intestine, and lung of CYP-treated rats, s permidine in the prostate, seminal vesicles, testis, thymus, spleen, kidney , heart, small intestine, and skeletal muscle of CYP-treated rats, and sper mine in the prostate, seminal vesicles, kidney, heart, small intestine, and stomach of CYP-treated rats showed statistically significant decreases. Re cognition of the significance of polyamine levels and attention to their re sponse in anti-cancer drug therapy may have clinical implications.