Supplemental arginine increases thymic cellularity in normal and murine sarcoma virus-inoculated mice and increases the resistance to murine sarcoma virus tumor.
Arginine supplements were given to 6 week old CBA mice beginning 3 days prior to inoculation with a murine sarcoma virus, the Moloney Sarcoma Virus (MSV). Although the basal diet contained 1.8% arginine and was therefore not arginine-deficient, supplementation of the diet and the drinking water with 0.5% arginine HCl reduced tumor incidence, lengthened the latency period, decreased tumor size, and hastened tumor regression. Arginine also increased thymic weight and cellularity in normal and in MSV-inoculated mice. The antitumor action of arginine may be related to its effect on the thymus.
D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D009053:Sarcoma Viruses, Murine / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D012513:Sarcoma, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology*
D001120:Arginine