Cell population kinetics of a spontaneous rat tumour during serial transplantation

Studies have been made on the growth and cell population kinetics of a spontaneous rat mammary fibroadenoma and of 10 successive transplantation passages. The volume doubling time decreased from about 30 days in the primary tumour and first two transplants to 1·7 days in the tenth transplant. This acceleration was accompanied by a considerable shortening of the mitotic cycle and of its S and G(1) phases but without change in the proportion of time spent in S. There was also a reduction in the apparent extent of cell loss and a considerable increase in the growth fraction. Histological changes were noted and studies by feulgen densitometry indicated a considerable shift in ploidy from hyperdiploid to hypertetraploid. The results constitute a detailed example of the effect on tumour growth kinetics of serial transplantation.