title: Natural defense systems of fasting rats against tumor cells.
abstract: The effect of fasting on naturally cytotoxic cells in rat liver and rat spleen was investigated. Neither fasting 100% (nor 50%) for eight days nor 100% overnight significantly reduced this natural cytotoxicity. Target cells YAC-1, P815, and WEHI-164 cells were used in a chromium release assay. Assuming that YAC-1 cells are preferentially killed by "true" natural killer cells, P815 by macrophages, and WEHI-164 by so-called natural cytotoxic cells, our results indicate that none of these subsets of naturally cytotoxic cells are hampered or stimulated by the fasting regimens used.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Experimental Pathology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Malter
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schriever
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D005215:Fasting; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000276:immunology*