Flow cytometric analysis of thymic lymphosarcoma induced by N-methyl-N-nitrosourea in C57B1/6J mice

N-Methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) induces thymic lymphosarcoma in numerous mouse strains. We determined the neoplastic phenotype induced by MNU in 20 C57B1/6J mice. Eleven neoplasms were composed of cells that were CD4-CD8+, four neoplasms were composed of cells that were CD4+CD8+, two neoplasms were mixtures of CD4+CD8+ and CD4-CD8+ cells, and three neoplasms were made up of cells that expressed neither CD4 nor CD8. Expanded populations of CD4+CD8- cells were observed within individual neoplasms. Of 10 neoplasms that were further classified, all were composed of cells that were J11d+, indicating immaturity. CD3 expression was generally negative, while IL2R expression was variable in these neoplasms. These data from C57B1/6J mice, a strain with a low incidence of spontaneous (viral-associated) thymic lymphosarcoma, indicate that a continuous spectrum of immature phenotypes are produced by MNU. The finding that each immature cell population can be expanded in this model system differs from previous reports. Our data do confirm the general finding in AKR mice, a strain with a high incidence of spontaneous thymic lymphosarcoma, that cells with immature phenotypes, particularly CD4-CD8+J11d+, make up MNU-induced thymic lymphosarcomas.