An investigation of cellular immunity in DMBA induced hamster's tongue neoplasia formation

II. Peritoneal macrophage function in DMBA induced hamster's tongue neoplasia formation

Abstract

With macrophage superoxide production as an index, the peritoneal macrophage function in the DMBA induced tongue neoplasia formation was examined using 114 5-weekold male hamsters. Hamsters from the DMBA treated group were killed in the fourth, eighth, eleventh, and fifteenth weeks. Hamsters from an untreated control group were also killed at these intervals. In order to determine the effects of ether anesthetic used during carcinogenic manipulation, another group was given ether anesthetic 3 times a week for eleven weeks then killed and examined. From the peritoneal cavity of each hamster macrophage was extracted and the superoxide was measured using the NBT reduction method. The results proved that there was no significance in superoxide production of the DMBA treated group in the various intervals. However, superoxide production of the DMBA treated group in the 11 th week decreased considerably compared with the untreated control group in the eleventh week. (p<0.05) This time period corresponded to the period of neoplasia autonomic increase aquisition reported by SHIGEOKA when compared with the untreated control group in its eleventh week the anesthetised group showd considerable decrease in production of superoxide (p<0.05). The infulence on immunity of ether anesthetic used for carcinogenic manipulation can not be ignored.