[T-cell lymphomagenesis induced by chemical carcinogens in mice]

Investigations were performed on models of murine leukemogenesis induced by butylnitrosourea or methylnitrosourea in DBA/2, C57B1/6, NMRI, BDF and CBA mice. The latency period in CBA mice was longer than in mice of the other strains. The first transplantable cells appeared mostly in the thymus, and only in two cases in the bone marrow. Methylnitrosourea suppressed the activity of natural killer cells, but not to the same extent as leukemogenic irradiation. Heterogeneity of leukemic T-cell phenotypes with respect to the expression of the ly-1 and ly-2 antigens was detected. At the same time leukemic cells revealed consistent inability to be agglutinated by peanut agglutinine. When hydrocortisone was injected to mice after the carcinogene treatment or within 24 h before it, the leukemogenesis was delayed.