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Acceptance of Walker 256 Carcinosarcoma by C57BL/6 Mice Treated with Rabbit Anti-Mouse-Thymus Serum¹

^[2] Section of Surgical Research, Mayo Clinic and Mayo Foundation
the^[1] Mayo Graduate School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Rochester, Minnesota 55901

Rabbit anti-mouse-thymus serum (RAMTS) was prepared and was cytotoxic to murine lymphocytes in vitro but not to lymphocytes of several other species of animals tested. This cytotoxicity was unaffected by adsorption with murine erythrocytes. The parenteral administration of RAMTS to normal C57BL/6 mice produced significant lymphopenia in peripheral blood as an acute effect; however, both RAMTS and normal rabbit sera produced lymphopenia on chronic administration. When RAMTS was given daily for several days it caused depletion of lymphoid cellular populations, particularly in thymic tissue and to a lesser extent in lymph nodes and spleen. The depletion was more striking in lymph nodes and spleen in intact than in neonatally thymectomized mice. Intact C57BL/6 mice treated with RAMTS and then injected with rat Walker 256 carcinosarcoma cells showed progressive growth of tumor in every instance, whereas all mice treated with saline or normal rabbit serum rejected the tumor. The occurrence of lymphopenia could not be related to the chronic administration of RAMTS since it was found also in the animals receiving normal rabbit serum. In neonatally thymectomized C57BL/6 mice, about 14% rejected the Walker 256 tumor; the administration of RAMTS to such animals resulted in progressive growth of implants of the tumor in all instances.

¹ This investigation was supported in part by a grant from the Louis W. and Maud Hill Family Foundation.

Received 3/17/67. Accepted 6/23/67.