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Spontaneous Regression of Chemically Induced Malignant Lymphoma in Swiss Mice

Experimental Pathology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20014

Female NIH general purpose (random-bred Swiss-Webster) mice were given a single i.p. injection of 1-ethyl-1-nitrosourea (1 mole/g) at 5 weeks of age. In 2 experiments, 246 of 462 and 94 of 152 mice developed thymic or nonthymic malignant lymphoma between 10 and 35 weeks after treatment. Of these 340 cases, 38 underwent spontaneous regression, which was accompanied by rapid weight loss and the development of severe, generally fatal hypoplastic anemia. Another 19 cases showed histological evidence of incipient regression at autopsy. Regression was characterized histologically by cellular depletion and fibrosis of lymphoid tissues and of visceral lymphoma deposits. Lymphomas which subsequently regressed could be transplanted by grafting lymph node cells into neonatal recipients during the florid phase of the disease. In one case, transplantation was attempted once during the florid phase of the disease and a second time after regression had occurred; transplantation was successful the first time but not the second. The cause of the regression/anemia syndrome is unknown; possible explanations are discussed.

Received 10/14/70. Accepted 7/16/71.