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Studies of Guinea Pig Tumors

II. The Induction of Malignant Tumors in Guinea Pigs by Methylcholanthrene^*

Herman T. Blumenthal and James B. Rogers

( Institute of Experimental Pathology, The Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, Missouri, and Department of Anatomy, University of Louisville, School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky)

More than 50 per cent of guinea pigs of two strains differing in their susceptibility to the development of spontaneous tumors developed sarcomas following the injection of methylcholanthrene into the abdominal wall. The majority of these tumors contained two or more mesenchymal components, including neurogenic, leiomyomatous, fibroblastic, lipoblastic, chondroblastic, osteoblastic, and primitive mesenchymal elements. Slightly less than 20 per cent of animals with tumors developed distant metastases, including lung, liver, heart, spleen, kidney, and adrenal. Metastasis, evidently, was blood-borne in many instances.

The data showed a trend toward a diminishing response with age, although, in animals developing tumors, age appeared to have no influence on the induction time. Survival time measured from the date of appearance of tumor was longest in the youngest group, although the rate of growth was also greatest in this group. The frequency of metastasis was lowest in the senile group.

No differences were noted concerning sex and strain in the induction of tumors or in the frequency of metastases.

The literature on the induction of tumors in guinea pigs by various agents, but particularly by hydrocarbons, has been reviewed and discussed. Guinea pigs appear to be susceptible to a number of types of tumor induction agents, responding by developing carcinomas or sarcomas, although they may be resistant to the development of lymphomas.

^* This work was supported by Research Grant #C-1590 (Cl-6) from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.

Present address: Veterans Administration Hospital, Jefferson Barracks, Missouri.

Received 11/20/61.