Toxicity of Actinomycin

Abstract

Summary

Actinomycin is found to be a powerful bacteriostatic and bactericidal agent in vitro. The presence of serum does not diminish the efficacy of this substance. However, no protection is afforded to mice inoculated with cultures of Streptococcus hemolyticus or Pneumococcus Type I, or to guinea pigs inoculated with Brucella abortus. The lack of in vivo activity may be due, among other things, to the rapid disappearance of actinomycin from the blood. Actinomycin is extremely toxic to all animal species, death apparently resulting from respiratory failure. Most deaths do not occur until 15-20 hours after actinomycin inoculation.