The effect of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (cis-DDP) on the murine fibrosarcoma cells was investigated in vitro and in vivo. For in vitro experiments tumour cell suspensions containing a given amount of cis-DDP were treated in water bath maintained at a desired temperature, and cell survival was determined by the lung colony assay. The D0 or the time to reduce survival from 1.0 to 0.37 on the exponential portion of the survival curve was determined and 1/D0 was plotted as a function of 1/T, where T stands for the absolute temperature. The slope of this Arrhenius plot indicated that the activation energy for chemical reaction of cis-DDP was 44 kcal/M between the temperature range from 37 to 41 degrees C. For in vivo experiments tumours were transplanted into the foot and treated by immersing the animal foot into a water bath when each tumour reached an average diameter of 4 mm (35 mm3). The drug was injected i.p. immediately before hyperthermia. The tumour growth (TG) time or the time required for a tumour to reach 1000 mm3 from the treatment day was determined, and the median TG time was obtained by logit analysis. Dose-response curves between the TG time and drug dose indicated that the cytotoxic effect of cis-DDP was enhanced at elevated temperatures. This enhancement increased with increasing temperature from room temperature to 43.5 degrees C. Because of short plasma half-time of cis-DDP, continuous infusion and pulse injections were attempted.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)