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Hormonal Influences on Urethan Carcinogenesis in C3H/f Mice^*

( Departments of Anatomy and Pharmacology, Baylor University College of Medicine, Texas Medical Center, Houston, Texas)

A single dose of urethan was administered to newborn and young adult C3H/f mice of both sexes. The incidences of liver tumors and reticular tissue neoplasms in the treated young adult mice were not significantly increased over those in control mice. However, a striking increase was observed in the incidence of hepatomas in the males which received urethan at newborn age. Females treated by injection with urethan at birth showed a significant increase in the incidence of liver tumors and reticular tissue neoplasms. These two types of neoplasms occurred either alone or together. The incidence of lung tumors was increased in animals of both sexes given injections of urethan at birth. All males that developed hepatomas had stimulated seminal vesicles; the microscopic appearance of the submaxillary glands and kidneys indicated androgen stimulation. The female mice with liver tumors also showed morphologic evidence of androgen stimulation, whereas females with reticular tissue neoplasms showed morphologic evidence of estrogen stimulation or of a castrate state. No apparent relationship was noted between the type of sex hormone stimulation observed at autopsy and the incidence of lung tumors. Adrenal cortical adenomas and ovarian atrophy were found in the females that received urethan at newborn age. These data suggest that the changes produced by urethan in cells of different tissues were variably expressed as recognizable neoplasms. The presence or absence of tumors in various tissues appeared to be dependent to some extent upon the hormonal environment of the host.

^* Supported by Research Grant C-6240 from the National Cancer Institute, United States Public Health Service.

Received 3/13/64.