title: Role of alveolar macrophages in tumor-bearing rats: tumoricidal properties of carrageenan-activated macrophages.
abstract: Tumor BN472, a malignant mammary adenocarcinoma, was subcutaneously transplanted into syngeneic female Brown Norway rats. Seven days after tumor inoculation, carrageenan-impregnated synthetic sponges were subcutaneously implanted in control and tumor-bearing rats. Another week later the animals were sacrificed and alveolar macrophages were harvested and tested for tumoricidal activity against a tissue culture line of BN472 cells and their capacity to phagocytose formaldehyde-treated sheep erythrocytes. The data demonstrate that carrageenan statistically significantly enhances the tumoricidal activity of alveolar macrophages in tumor-bearing rats. Phagocytic activity of the macrophages in these animals is not different from sham-operated control animals, whereas the phagocytic activity of tumor-bearing rats is statistically significantly decreased.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Experimental Surgery, Erasmus University, Medical Faculty, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Bijma
authors.forename: T E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Stehmann
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Weijma
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Kort
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002351:Carrageenan / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D008262:Macrophage Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000276:immunology*; D010587:Phagocytosis; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000276:immunology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D002351:Carrageenan