Evaluation of irradiation-plus-urethan-induced murine leukemia virus "release" using a new method for quantitation of oncornaviruses in tissues.

The quantity of C-type RNA tumor viruses in homogenate-sonicates of thymus-bone marrow tissues of C57BL/6J and RFM/Un mice 10 days after irradiation (X-rays or gamma-rays)-plus-urethan treatments is no greater than that in thymus-bone marrow homogenates from nontreated control mice. These results indicate that the leukemogenic activity, shown to be present in such thymus-bone marrow homogenates at this time after irradiation-plus-urethan treatment, is not due to change in quantity of C-type viruses as has been proposed. Virus quantity in tissues was evaluated by a new procedure that includes use of a microchamber with the sides situated on rotor radii so as to produce a uniform virus-containing sediment of tissue homogenate-sonicate that is evaluated by electron microscopic examination of this sections cut perpendicular to the membrane surface. Samples containing as little as 105 to 106 viruses can be relatively easily counted. Semipurified or purified viruses can also be counted after mixing with a tissue homogenate-bovine serum albumin diluent.