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The Development of Neurogenic Neoplasms, Embryonal Kidney Tumors, Harderian Gland Adenomas, Anitschkow Cell Sarcomas of the Heart, and Other Neoplasms in Urethan-treated Newborn Rats¹

Division of Oncology, Institute for Medical Research, The Chicago Medical School, Chicago, Illinois 60612

The neoplastic potentialities of various tissues of newborn and infant rats were investigated by postnatal administration of urethan. Randomly bred MRC rats were exposed to repeated i.p. injections of 10% urethan; the first injection was given within 24 hours of birth and subsequent ones at 3-day intervals. The animals received a total of either 6 or 10 urethan injections, each consisting of 0.5 mg/gm body weight. Nontreated breeding mates served as controls. The experiment was terminated when the animals were 110 weeks of age.

Seven percent of the nontreated controls developed tumors in four different organs (pituitary, uterus, peripheral nerve, and mammary gland). However, 82.5% of the urethan-treated animals showed one or more primary tumors at the time of death. Urethan influenced the development of gliomas of the brain, epithelial and embryonal renal tumors, pituitary adenomas, Harderian gland adenomas, Anitschkow cell sarcomas of the heart and hemangioendotheliomas, in addition to previously reported hepatomas, hepatocarcinomas, cholangiomas, and cholangiocarcinomas (10), and neurofibrosarcomas, mammary gland fibroadenomas, uterine sarcomas, Zymbal gland adenomas, and malignant lymphomas (6).

These findings demonstrated that newborn and infant rats possess broad neoplastic potentialities, as revealed by exposure to urethan.

¹ This investigation was supported by Contract PH 43-65-67 from the National Cancer Institute, NIH, USPHS.

² Present Address: Department of Radiology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637.

Received 8/10/67. Accepted 1/10/68.