title: Liver as a tumor cell killing organ: Kupffer cells and natural killers.
abstract: Sinusoidal rat liver cells spontaneously kill tumor cells in vitro. They have the same preferences as do spleen cells for certain types of tumor cells, YAC-1, P815, BSP73Asml, BSP73As, EB, EsB, and L5222. Metastasizing tumor cells are less sensitive than their nonmetastasizing counterparts. Not all effector cells are Kupffer cells. These nonmacrophage killer cells share some features with classical natural killers: (a) fast reactions (4 h); (b) high toxicity against YAC-1 cells; (c) sensitivity to anti-asialo GM1 globulin; (d) similar age dependency; (e) short biological halflife (approximately 1 day) (deduced from radiation experiments); (b) silica particle insensitivity; and (g) nonadherence. The natural killing potency of the liver is higher than that of the spleen. The reduction of tumoricidal capacity of the liver in germ-free animals suggests environmental influences. Tumoricidal capacity (organ capacity) is increased in rats chronically fed thioacetamide, carbon tetrachloride (CC14), dimethylaminoazobenzene, and N-nitrosomorpholin.
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D005856:Germ-Free Life; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D007728:Kupffer Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D008099:Liver / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D003012:Microbial Collagenase / Q000494:pharmacology; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000276:immunology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D003012:Microbial Collagenase