Nitrogen Mustards in Fowl Leucosis

Abstract

The approx. optimal dose of 2 nitrogen mustard derivatives[long dash]methyl -bis (B-chloroethyl) amine (HN2), and tris (B-chloroethyl) amine (HN3)[long dash]for intraven. treatment of chickens weighing 0.5 kg. each, was detd. For HN2 this opt. dose was 2 mg./kg., and for HN3, 1 mg./kg. When appreciably larger doses were used, there was drooling of fluids from the mouth, diarrhea and leuco-penia. Microscopic lesions in tissues of birds that died 24-72 hrs. after treatment with lethal doses were a marked decrease in numbers and in mitotic activity of hemopoietic cells in femoral marrow; a similar depletion of lymphoid cells in the spleen and other organs; and vacuolization of intestinal epithelial cells. Of 14 birds infected artificially with strain "A" leucosis and treated with HN3, 2 made clinical recoveries that lasted 3-6 months; of 19 similarly infected birds, treated with HN2, 3 with hemocytoblastic leucosis, 6 with neurolym-phomatosis, and 2 with visceral lymphomatosis made complete clinical recoveries. One spontaneous case of visceral lymphomatosis treated with HN2 made a complete recovery that lasted 8 months. In many instances a retardation of mitotic activity both in the marrow and in the peripheral blood was demonstrable 24 hrs. after treatment.