1968 Volume 59 Issue 6 Pages 527-535
Mice inoculated subcutaneously with leukemia L-1210 cells succumb with systemic disease before meningeal leukemia is apparent.
Treatment with Methotrexate suppresses the systemic disease, but leukemic cells cross the "blood-brain barrier" and meningeal leukemia develops. Methotrexate is relatively ineffective against leukemic cells proliferating at this site since it cannot cross the "blood-brain barrier".
1-β-D-Arabinofuranosylcytosine hydrochloride (cytosine arabinoside) does cross the "blood-brain barrier" and does somewhat control the meningeal disease. Data from survival and bioassay studies showed that cytosine arabinoside was effective against meningeal leukemia L-1210 developed in mice treated with Methotrexate.
These studies suggest the usefulness of cytosine arabinoside in situations in which the initial chemical agent, for example, Methotrexate fails to maintain remission in a leukemic patient.
