416 G. ROUSER, K. KELLY, B. JEEINEK, D. HELLER 
of an increase of most of the amino acids with a decrease in glutamic acid when the 
white cell count was reduced to a minimum. Taurine was not seen in the pretreatment 
samples. The most marked effects on the free amino acid levels were observed in 
patient M. Fal. after she received 20 mg of dimethylmyleran. Aspartic and glutamic 
acids, glycine, serine, alanine, and glutamine were decreased. Marked effects were 
also seen in patient H. Gol. in 3 of the 4 studies after administration of dimethyl- 
myleran. The changes consisted of an overall decrease of free amino acids with the 
most marked decrease occurring at the time when the white cell count was reduced 
to a minimum. In one study the most marked decrease was for glutamic acid. Ery- 
throcytes, like plasma, show the gradation from no effect to rather marked effects on 
most of the free amino acids. 
The maximum effect on plasma free amino acids of patient R. Tap. was observed 
without any effects of the drug upon the erythrocyte free amino acid pool being 
apparent. The general tendency for the changes in the erythrocytes to correspond 
roughly to the changes seen in plasma is evident. The most consistent changes are 
in glutamic acid, aspartic acid, and taurine. Other amino acids may also be changed 
after dimethylmyleran, although these changes are less pronounced and less frequent. 
It is to be noted that patient H. Gol. was studied four times after administration of 
dimethylmyleran. Minimal effects on the erythrocyte free amino acid pool were 
observed in the third study, while marked effects were observed in the first, second, 
and fourth studies. Evidently variations in response exist for the same patient at 
different times that are similar to the variations observed for different individuals. 
Effects of dimethylmyleran on leukocyte free amino acid levels 
The most profound changes produced by dimethylmyleran were seen in the leuko- 
cytes. All patients showed some effect of the drug upon leukocyte free amino acid 
levels. Patient R. Tho. (chronic lymphatic leukemia) who received 40 mg of dimethyl- 
myleran had a temporary increase of glutamic acid on the second, third, fourth, and 
fifth days following drug, and the glutamic acid level then returned to the control 
level. In contrast to this finding patient H. Gol. showed a decrease of glutamic acid 
(along with a decrease of white count) as the only definite change in leukocyte free 
amino acid levels. These changes represent the minimal effects of the drug upon the 
white cells. The effects of the drug were more pronounced in all other studies. 
Patient H. Gol., after showing a minimal response in the first study, showed inter- 
mediate effects on the white cell free amino acid levels in three other studies. The 
changes consisted of a marked drop in the glutamic acid level with distinct decreases 
in the levels of valine and the leucines in the second study. During the third study 
the patient showed the same changes in free amino acids seen in the second study 
along with decreases in the levels of alanine and glycine. During the fourth study the 
patient showed decreases of all of the free amino acids of leukocytes. The most 
marked changes were for glutamic acid and taurine with moderate decreases in the 
levels of valine, the leucines, alanine, glutamine, glycine and serine. 
Patient R. Tap. after 40 mg of dimethylmyleran showed a marked drop of glutamic 
acid only that persisted for 95 days. The same patient when studied on a second 
occasion after 30 mg of dimethylmyleran showed a reduction in total free amino acid 
that was maintained for the remainder of the period of study (95 days). 
References p. 447/448 
