Autografting and allografting of bovine ocular squamous cell carcinoma

The autografting and allografting of bovine ocular squamous cell carcinoma was attempted. Autologous transplantation of primary ocular squamous cell carcinoma to subcutaneous sites initiated tumour growth at some sites in 11 of 17 animals when tumour pieces were used. The transplanted tumours showed progressive growth after a latent period of one to 10 weeks and attained a size of 1 cm between two and 16 weeks after implantation. Autologous tumour pieces also grew in the thoracic cavity of one animal but failed to grow in the peritoneal cavity of this animal and three other cattle. Tumour pieces obtained from subcutaneous autografts of two animals were reduced to single cell suspensions by trypsinisation at 37 degrees C and 4 degrees C. Each of these animals received five subcutaneous injections of 15 X 10(6) viable autologous cells per site for each preparation. No progressive growth was recorded at these sites. Autologous cultured tumour cells also failed to initiate progressive growth in two animals receiving 5 X 10(6) and 15 X 10(6) viable cells respectively. Pieces of subcutaneous autografts were reimplanted on five animals and progressive tumour growth was initiated on all five animals. In one animal the tumour pieces used for reimplantation had been stored in a liquid nitrogen refrigerator for seven days. Allografting was successful in only one of 10 attempts. The allograft grew until 10 weeks after implantation, then regressed spontaneously. No spontaneous regression was seen with autografts after progressive growth was recorded.