Transplantation of Murine Leukæmia by Unconventional Routes

Abstract

A LYMPHOCYTIC type of leukæmia which arose spontaneously in a mouse of strain CBA has already been described¹. Investigation of transmission of this leukæmia between mice of the strain of origin revealed the following features: transmission could not be effected by the injection of cell-free homogenates of leukæmic organs into mice either before or after birth; transplantation bioassays of single-cell suspensions of morphologically intact leukæmic cells showed that an average intraperitoneal inoculum of only two cells would consistently achieve successful transplantation to 50per cent of injected mice (that is, TD₅₀ = 2 cells); similar very low TD₅₀ values were obtained from assays performed by the subcutaneous or intravenous routes; no solid tumours appeared at sites of subcutaneous injection, and notrace of ascites appeared after intraperitoneal injection of the cells.