Effect of prechemotherapy filgrastim on the bone marrow toxicity of topotecan

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the efficacy and safety of single-dose filgrastim administered 24 hours prior to chemotherapy in the prevention of topotecan-related myeloid suppression.

Methods: No medication was given to 21 rats in group I; 1.5 mg/m(2)/day topotecan was administered intraperitoneally for five days every three weeks to 21 rats in group 11; a single dose of 5 mug/kg filgrastim was injected intraperitoneally 24 hours before the intraperitoneal administration of the same dose of topotecan to 21 rats in group M. After completion of six cycles of chemotherapy, the rats were decapitated and blood samples were immediately collected into citrated tubes for complete blood counts.

Results: White blood cell and lymphocyte counts in the control and the filgrastim + topotecan groups were similar (p > 0.05) and significantly higher than the counts in the topotecan group (p < 0.05). There was no difference in means of neutrophil, monocyte, eosinophil, basophil and erythrocyte counts among the groups (p > 0.05).

Conclusion: Filgrastim administration prior to chemotherapy seems to be beneficial and further investigations are needed.