[Effect of sodium selenite on the antitumor function of spleen lymphocytes in mice]

Sodium selenite in drinking water (1 ppm) was given to normal and hepatoma-bearing mice for 14 days. Spleen lymphocytes were incubated with hepatoma cells and 3H-TdR incorporation was measured. Sodium selenite increased the ability of spleen cells to inhibit 3H-TdR incorporation into hepatoma cells by more than 40%. In the meantime, in the spleen lymphocytes of normal and hepatoma-bearing mice, the activities of ATPase, acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase were definitely higher than that of the control (ATPase increased by 35.5% and 65.0%; acid phosphatase increased by 113.0% and 93.0%; alkaline phosphatase by 64.7% and 69.0%, respectively). These results suggest that sodium selenite (1 ppm), like immunologic stimulator such as bacillus Calmette Guérin (BCG), be able to stimulate the immunologic function of organism against hepatoma.