Induction of Transmissible Lymphomas in Syrian Hamsters by Application of Dna From Viral Hamster Papovavirus-Induced Tumors and by Cell-Free Filtrates From Human Tumors

Abstract

Abstract.-DNA isolated from skin epitheliomas containing papovavirus induced lymphomas within four to eight weeks in 40 to 50 per cent of newborn Syrian hamsters injected. This DNA effect was eliminated by DNase but not by RNase and was not induced by DNA preparations of transplanted epitheliomas or the induced lymphomas. Lymphomas were similarly induced by cellfree filtrates from certain human tumors such as gastric carcinomas and ovarian tumors. Little or no lymphoma effects were observed following injections with filtrates derived from normal human or animal tissues or human blood. The lymphomas induced by DNA and human tumors were transmissible by cell-free filtrates to newborn Syrian hamsters; however, successful serial passage, like the primary lymphomas induced by the DNA preparations, depended upon the use of a newborn hamster from a special breeding colony of hamsters.Introduction.-In previous publications, we reported both the spontaneous incidence of multiple skin epitheliomas (papillomas) containing large numbers of papovaviruses in Syrian hamsters1 and an associated induction of leukemias, predominantly lymphomas.2 The latter originated in almost every case in the liver of Syrian hamsters which as newborns had been treated with cell-free filtrates from the hamster skin tumors. The hamster lymphomas, which were separately transmissible by cell-free extract, contained a virus with the morphology of the C-type murine leukemia virus; interestingly, the papovavirus present in skin tumors could not be detected in the lymphomas by electron microscopic examination. Herewith, we report additional results concerning especially the induction of hamster lymphomas by DNA from spontaneous skin epitheliomas containing papovavirus. In addition, experiments are briefly described in which the lymphomas also appeared in significant numbers after subcutaneous inoculation of hamsters with filtrates derived from certain human tumors.Materials and Methods.-DNA was isolated from tissues of primary skin epitheliomas containing papovavirus. The tissue was either freshly excised or frozen at -80'C. The

Experimental transmission of green turtle fibropapillomatosis using cell-free tumor extracts

“…Similarly, papillomavirus vegetative replication occurs sporadically in only the most superficial terminally differentiated epidermal cells of a wart (Howley 1990). A third possibility is that the agent that causes GTFP is present in tumors primarily as episomal genetic material which is infectious under experimental conditions as shown for severai papovaviruses, including hamster polyomavirus (Graffi et al 1969) and cottontail rabbit papillomavirus (Ito & Evans 1961, Brandsma & Xiao 1993. Several oncogenic viruses, including papillomaviruses (Howley 1983) and retroviruses (Benjamin & Vogt 1990), cause neoplastic lesions in tissues that are not permissive to vegetative viral replication.…”

Polyomavirus Infection in a Free-Ranging California Sea Lion (Zalophus Californianus) with Intestinal T-Cell Lymphoma

“…Although polyomavirus infection has been associated with skin tumors in hamsters and with Merkel cell carcinoma in humans, the relationship between polyomavirus infection and the glossal fibropapilloma in this sea lion is not clear. 6,20 In Merkel cell carcinomas, viral DNA can be detected within tumor cells but not in nonneoplastic cells. 20 As viral particles were noted within only endothelial cells and not within epithelial or stromal cells within the glossal mass, it is possible that neoplasia and severe renal disease caused reactivation of latent viral infection.…”

“…15 Hamster polyomavirus is associated with skin tumors. 6,7 In contrast, polyomavirus infection in avian species can cause acute and chronic diseases such as budgerigar fledgling disease caused by Psittacine polyomavirus and hemorrhagic nephritis and enteritis of geese caused by Goose hemorrhagic polyomavirus. 10 The purpose of the current report is to describe the histopathologic and molecular features of polyomavirus infection and intestinal T-cell lymphoma in a free-ranging California sea lion (Zalophus californianus), both of which have not been previously reported in any marine mammal species.…”

Hamster Polyomavirus Infection in a Pet Syrian Hamster (Mesocricetus auratus)

“…23 A second disease course is seen when HaPV infects naive young hamsters in which it readily induces multicentric lymphoma originating from the mesentery and metastasizing to the liver, kidney, and thymus. 3,10,19,22 The ability of HaPV to infect both undifferentiated keratinocytes and lymphocytes is unique among the papovaviruses and led to its initial misclassification as a papillomavirus. However, characterization of virus genomic sequence and gene structure definitively identifies HaPV as a polyomavirus.…”