Idiopathic mammary tumors in BALB/c mice

A colony of BALB/c mice consisting of two sublines with a high incidence of mammary tumors was examined for the presence of a mammary tumor virus (MuMTV). The mammary tumor incidences in the two sublines were 18% and 35% at average tumor age 19-20 months. Over a period of 8 years, their milk at third to tenth lactations were monitored for the presence of MuMTV antigen,and the milk and tumors were examined for the presence of B particles. Neither antigen nor B particles were found. Milk and tumor extracts from the higher mammary tumor lines were also assayed for MuMTV bioactivity by intraperitoneal inoculation of weanling C57BL, BALB/c, and RIIIf females. No response was obtained, except possible in RIIIf. Both the MuMTV antigen incidence and the tumor incidence in inoculated RIIIf mice were somewhat elevated over controls. The question remains unanswered as to whether there is an active MuMTV in our colony of tumor-bearing BALB/c mice and, if there is, whether it is associated with B particles.