Changes in immunological response to a living body with malignant tumor have a tendency to complicate infection clinically, and constitute a serious problem. Inflammatory reaction, in which neutrophils emigrate first into the acute inflammation region, is thought to reflect on the immunological response.
On the other hand, prostaglandins (PGs) are synthesized in many organs, and they have various biological and pharmacological effects. Leukotriene B4 (LTB4), one of the PG related bioregulators, has chemotaxis for neutrophils, which release LTB4 in response to various stimuli.
Recently, LTB4 released from neutrophils and neutrophil emigration became possible of detection by means of stimulation by Ca-Ionophore A 23187 and skin window test, respectively.
In the present study, changes in the neutrophil function in rabbit having VX2 carcinoma was investigated with these two methods. The results obtained were as follows.
1) Two weeks after VX 2 carcinoma transplantation in rabbit tongue, the tumor infiltrated throughout the tongue with necrosis and metastases in cervical lymph nodes and lungs were recognized. At three weeks, rabbits began to feed very little and lose weight rapidly.
2) The neutrophil number increased 2.5 times three weeks after transplantation.
3) The concentration of calcium in blood of rabbits with cancer decreased significantly at two weeks against controls (p<0.05).
4) LTB4, which was separated by stimulating with A 23184 the neutrophiles that had been taken from VX 2 carcinoma rabbits, increased and reached the maximum two weeks after transplantation, which was statistically significant (p<0.001).
5) The neutrophil emigration by means of skin window test improved markedly three weeks after transplantation.
6) These findings suggested that LTB4 release from neutrophils varied with the growth of VX2 carcinoma and became an immunologial parameter.