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Aminopterin in the Treatment of Acute Leukaemia

1950; BMJ; Volume: 1; Issue: 4668 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1136/bmj.1.4668.1447

0959-8138

J. V. Dacie, Ellis Dresner, D. L. Mollin, John White,

Drug-Induced Hepatotoxicity and Protection

Since the synthesis of pteroylglutamic acid (folic acid) by Angier et al. (1945), several analogues having either a similar or a biologically antagonistic activity have been prepared (Smith et al., 1948).Of the antagonists, the most potent is 4-aminopteroylglutamic acid ("aminopterin "), produced by the substitution of an NH2 group for the OH group in the 4 position of the pteridine ring of the folic acid molecule (Seeger et al., 1947).The first report of the use of folic acid antagonists in acute leukaemia was that of Meyer (1948), who obtained temporary clinical and haematological improvement in four of five cases treated with pteroylaspartic acid and methylpteroic acid.Subsequently, Farber et al. (1948) reported important remissions in 10 out of 16 children with acute leukaemia treated with aminopterin.The drug seemed to have a pronounced effect on leukaemic bone marrow, causing a decrease or disappearance of letukaemic