Alteration in Growth of Ehrlich Mouse Ascites Carcinoma on Repeated Transfer through Hamsters

Abstract

THE Ehrlich mouse ascites cancer can be transferred to hamsters, where it can grow with preservation of its character of ascites cancer (Ahlstr6m and Ising, 1955). By transplantation at 3-day intervals the cancer can be transferred from hamster to hamster and survive several passages. The purpose of the present investigation was to determine whether the ascites cancer undergoes any change during successive passages through a long series of hamsters. MATERIAL AND METHODS.The Ehrlich mouse ascites carcinoma was originally obtained from Dr. Georg Klein, Institute for Cell Research, Stockholm. All mice used belonged to the same inbred strain.The experimental animals were Syrian golden hamsters weighing 100-120 g. All of the animals were brought up on a standard diet.The first hamster in Series I was inoculated intraperitoneally with 5 ml. of pooled ascitic fluid from a batch of mice inoculated 6 days before. The hamster was killed 3 days after the inoculation. The ascitic fluid was carefully collected, measured and, after determination of its content of cancer cells, transferred to another hamster. The cancer was then transmitted in the same way at 3-day intervals to new hamsters until, after a number of passages, the cancer gave the impression that it was about to die. The ascitic fluid was then injected intraperitoneally into a few mice. TLe mice were killed as soon as they showed signs of ascites, and the cancer was again transferred to a hamster. It was then again carried through a series of hamsters (Series II) until the number of cancer cells in the ascitic fluid was so small that there was a risk of the cancer dying. The cancer was resuscitated by a new passage through mice, after which a new series of hamsters was started (Series III). In this way the cancer was passed through 7 series of hamsters, each series consisting of 6 to 9 passages. The last hamster series (Series VIII) was interrupted after 44 passages, since it now appeared that the ascites cancer could be transferred ad infinitum.Smears were taken from each animal and stained according to Papanicolaou.

Heterotransplantation of the Amytal Ascites Sarcoma of Mice into White Rats

“…A hlstrdm and I sing [3] tra n s p la n te d th e E h rlic h ascites carcinom a in to h am sters and o b tain ed b e tte r resu lts in fem ale th a n in m ale anim als. T h ey m ain tained th e E h rlic h ascites carcinom a over 92 passages in th e ab d o m inal c a v ity o f h a m ste rs [2].…”