Age-related changes in the cell proliferation of ATPC+ mouse ascites tumour

The growth of ATPC+, an ascites tumour derived from a spontaneous mammary carcinoma in BALB/c+ mice, was studied at different ages. It was observed that the number of cells increases rapidly during the first 5 days after implantation. Thereafter, the cell number increases more slowly, reaching a plateau after 8 days. This slowing-down is not due to a reduction in the growth fraction but to a lengthening of the cell cycle. Between 5 and 8 days the duration of all phases increases, including the S phase, which increases from 5.2 h in 5-day tumours to 8.2 h in 8-day tumours. In 12-day tumours both the cell cycle and S phase are only slightly longer than in 8-day tumours whereas the growth fraction is reduced. The slowing-down of cell growth can be attributed to growth fraction reduction rather than cell loss, which is maximal in the 5-day tumour. At this age the time course of the percent labelled cells and of the number of grains/nucleus suggests reutilization of [3H]-thymidine. Incorporation of [3H]-thymidine/cell decreases sharply in 12-day tumours due to a reduced availability of thymidine, which is degraded to thymine in the in vivo ascitic fluid faster than in 8-day tumours. This indicates an age-related change in the ascitic fluid composition.