Thymic atrophy induced by murine mammary adenocarcinoma in vivo.
The thymic compartment of mammary tumor bearing mice is severely affected with increasing tumor growth. T cell functions in peripheral organs are greatly impaired or absent in such animals. A study of the thymus in relation to tumorigenesis revealed a profound decrease in size accompanied by a disrupture of the normal thymic architecture. Although a strong splenic suppressor cell activity can be detected in this animal model, splenectomy did not prevent thymic involution. Injection of tumor associated factors into normal mice resulted in a thymic atrophy similar to that seen in tumor bearing mice. These findings indicate that the observed thymic involution may not be only due to stress-related phenomena but also a direct effect of the tumor.
Fu
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Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Miami School of Medicine, Florida 33101.
Altman
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Lopez
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D015127:9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene; D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology*; D000818:Animals; D001284:Atrophy; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008325:Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009929:Organ Size; D012016:Reference Values; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology*
D015127:9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene