Effect of regression of Rous sarcoma tumors upon egg production in an inbred line of White Leghorns.
Reserach was conducted to determine whether development and subsequent regression of a Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) induced wing-web tumor influenced egg production.  Fifty-seven six-week old pullet chicks of inbred line 6 of the United States Department of Agriculture, Regional Poultry Research Laboratory, East Lansing, Michigan, were inoculated subcutaneously in the left wing-web with 0.1 ml. of a 10-minus 3 dilution of a pseudotype of Bryan high titer RSV designated BH-RSV (RAV-1).  Thirty chicks were left uninoculated.  Each chick was examined for tumor growth at regular intervals to 10 weeks post-inoculation.  A tumor was considered regressed if it disappeared completely.  Ninteen regressor and 22 uninoculated females were placed in laying cages at 4.5 months of age and egg production data obtained over seven 28-day periods.  The difference in hen-day egg production between regressors and uninoculated controls favored regressors by 2.7 eggs/bird and was statistically significant.  Physiological stimulus from cellular immunity, linkage and pleiotropy are discussed as possible caused of the higher egg production in regressors.
D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens / Q000502:physiology*; D004531:Eggs; D005260:Female; D007178:Inbreeding; D009365:Neoplasm Regression, Spontaneous; D010058:Oviposition; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000473:pathology; D001357:Sarcoma, Avian / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*