Some biochemical mechanisms underlying the impairment of T and B cell immunity in C3HA mice during hepatoma growth.

In thymocytes of C3HA mice carrying the transplantable and ortoaminoazotoluene induced hepatomas at the time of their intense growth a drastic decrease in adenosine deaminase activity set in and 3-4-fold augmentation of intracellular concentration of dATP and dGTP, potential inhibitors of ribonucleoside diphosphate reductase was observed, leading to the reduction of the DNA synthesis. The latter event was evidenced by a suppressed 14C-thymidine incorporation into thymocytes DNA in vitro, decreased thymidine kinase activity, intracellular dTTP and depletion of dCTP pools. Only in the terminal period of hepatocarcinogenesis (12 months) a 4-fold increase in the corticosterone serum concentration was observed. As for the mice carrying transplantable 22a hepatoma, serum hormone levels augmented 4-fold as early as 24 h after tumor implantation and thereafter kept increased two fold. An elevated activity of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase in mouse thymocytes has been shown to be characteristic of the late periods of tumor growth reflecting the arrest of the immature cortical thymocyte differentiation. By the time hepatomas emerged in the course of hepatocarcinogenesis in spleen T and B lymphocytes a significant drop in the activity of adenosine deaminase (3-4-fold) and purine nucleoside phosphorylase (2-8-fold) was noted--the events directly correlated with the weakening of cell immune functions. The disorders described were accompanied by the accumulation of dGTP in spleen T lymphocytes, dATP in B lymphocytes and inhibition of DNA synthesis, predominantly in T lymphocytes. In the latter instance the pool of dCTP was found to be depleted. In spleen T and B lymphocytes of mice carrying solid 22a hepatoma when the peak of its growth was reached (day 5) the rate of DNA synthesis dropped. Later on (from day 8 to the animal death), however, in spite of the suppression of immune function and the decrease in adenosine deaminase activity a drastic stimulation of DNA synthesis in spleen T and B lymphocytes was observed. The increase in spleen T suppressor activity in the course of intense growth of the both types of hepatomas coincided in the time with the stimulation of the CTP-dependent thymidine kinase isoenzyme activity in total T lymphocyte population of the same organ.