Human tissue distribution of 4′-(9-acridinylamino)-methanesulfon-m-anisidide (NSC 141549, AMSA)

Concentrations of AMSA were determined by HPLC in autopsy tissue samples from five patients who had received the drug antemortem. Relative organ concentrations of AMSA varied from patient to patient; however, concentrations were generally highest in gallbladder, liver, and kidney, while low levels were generally but not invariably found in lung, testicle, muscle, fat, spleen, bladder, pancreas, colon, prostate, and brain. One patient with ventricular fibrillation and seizures had high tissue AMSA concentrations in myocardium, but low concentrations in brain. Another patient with seizures during treatment had high brain concentrations of AMSA. Relative organ concentrations were similar to those found in mice, except that mice have high AMSA concentration in their spleens whereas our patients did not, even when the spleen was infiltrated with leukemic cells. High tissue concentrations of AMSA were still present 2 weeks after treatment. AMSA concentration was lower in a renal oncocytoma (1.1 µg/g) than in surrounding kidney (2.4 µg/g).