DISTRIBUTION OF ⁵¹Cr-LABELED LYMPHOID CELLS IN THE LYMPH NODE DRAINING THE INOCULATED TUMOR IN THE RAT

Abstract

The experimental lymph node metastasis was induced in the ipsilateral lumbar node following the inoculation of ascites hepatoma cells into the muscle of a hind leg of Donryu rats. At various time intervals after the inoculation, the rats were used to examine the distribution of ⁵¹Cr-labeled lymphoid cells which had been prepared from the lymph nodes of normal rats and injected intravenously one day beforehand. Histological examinations of the removed lymph nodes were performed by the usual technique with Hematoxylin and Eosin stain. The distribution of ⁵¹Cr-labeled lymphiod cells was found to increase transiently in the lumbar node draining the tumor inoculated. It was kept at a certain level in the node involved slightly with metastasized tumor cells even when the interval after the inoculation became longer, but it decreased very markedly in those damaged extensively. In addition, the degree of sinus histiocytosis in the node seemed to be related significantly to the distribution of ⁵¹Cr-labeled lymphoid cells.
These results were discussed with regard to the host immune reaction in the node draining the tumor.