Glial-mesenchymal tropism of in vivo avian sarcoma virus neuro-oncogenesis in rats.

Intracerebral inoculation of avian sarcoma virus (ASV) in postnatal animals induces gliomas and sarcomas but no neuronal tumors. High titer Bratislava-77 strain ASV was inoculated intracerebrally in fetal F-344 rats between 17 and 20 days of gestation: a time of active neuronal proliferation. Following birth inoculated rats developed gliomas and sarcomas but no neuronal tumors. The results are evidence that the glial-mesenchymal tropism of in vivo ASV neuro-oncogenesis is independent of stage of neurocytodifferentiation at inoculation.