| abstract |
Dithiocarbamic compounds, administered about 0.5 to about 6 hours after Pt(II) compound, have been found to counter the toxicity of the platinum in multicellular organisms (e.g. mammals). For example, neoplastic growths in mammals can be treated with cis-diamine or cis-diammine Pt(II) complexes with greatly lessened risk of nephrotoxicity and damage to the digestive system of the mammal, provided the dithiocarbamic compound is timely (and preferably parenterally) administered. Particularly effective dithiocarbamic compounds are monomeric (e.g. <IMAGE> where M(+) is a pharmaceutically acceptable cation and R1 and R2 are lower aliphatic or cycloaliphatic groups) or, less preferably, dimeric, e.g. <IMAGE> wherein R1 and R2 are as defined previously, and R3 and R4 are defined in the same manner as R1 and R2. These dithiocarbamic compounds do not significantly reduce the desired effects of the Pt(II) compounds (particularly when the dithiocarbamic compound is intravenously administered), despite their effectiveness in reducing harmful side effects. |