Early Stages of the Transplantation of the Ehrlich-Putnoky Tumour into Mice and Rats

Abstract

In 1930 Putnoky, from the laboratory of Professor von Balogh, reported the successful propagation of a mouse tumour in rats. The tumour used was obtained from the Institute of General Pathology, Vienna University, and was described as a strain of the Ehrlich mouse carcinoma. Transplantation was effected by introducing pieces of tumour of the size of a lentil into the subcutaneous tissues of the back through an incision. The rats weighed at least 80 gm. After growing progressively in the rat for about ten days, the tumour regressed or became completely necrotic. It was transplanted from rat to rat every eight to ten days and at the time of publication was in its 28th passage in rats. It had been growing in rats continuously for four years and eight months when Professor von Balogh kindly sent two of these animals bearing the tumour to the Imperial Cancer Research Fund. As this is the first reported instance of the continued propagation of a mammalian tumour in a foreign species, it was considered worth while to study the early stages of the tumour9s growth in the rat and mouse. Furthermore, as histological preparations of the Ehrlich-Putnoky tumour differ widely from preparations of two strains of the Ehrlich mouse carcinoma which were kindly supplied by Dr. Santesson of the Radiumhemmet, Stockholm, it was thought that a study of the early stages of the former tumour might help to explain its anomalous appearance.