title: Augmentation of lymphoproliferative activity of tumor-bearing BALB/c mice to soluble tumor antigens by surgical manipulation: the possible role of macrophages.
abstract: Lymphoproliferative activity was assessed by 3H-thymidine incorporation in spleen cells of mammary tumor bearing BALB/c mice, mice which had their tumors surgically removed, and mice with sham surgery after stimulation in vitro with a soluble extract of syngeneic tumor antigens. Surgical removal of tumors caused an average of 65% decline in reactivity at 5 days postoperative as compared to reactivity of animals with their tumors intact. Sham surgery caused an average of 33% elevation in reactivity. Macrophages added to cultures at spleen cell/macrophage ratio of 100:1 caused an average 171%, 59%, and 12% elevation in the activity of surgery, tumor-bearing, and sham-surgery animals, respectively. Surgical manipulation of tumor-bearing mice, therefore, augmented in situ the ability of spleen cells to exhibit lymphoproliferative activity to a soluble syngeneic antigenic extract in vitro, possibly by a mechanism involving the activation of macrophages and requiring the presence of a sizable antigenic load.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology*; D007519:Isoantigens / Q000276:immunology*; D008262:Macrophage Activation; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology*; D008325:Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000276:immunology* / Q000601:surgery; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D007519:Isoantigens