Effect of hyperglycemia on the thermal response of murine normal and tumor tissues.

The effect of an i.p. injection of glucose on the thermal response of murine tissues was studied. Animal tumors were early generation isotransplants of a spontaneous fibrosarcoma, FSa-II. Tumors were transplanted into the foot pad, and hyperthermia was given by immersing the foot into a constant-temperature water bath. The tumor and normal tissue responses were studied by assays of the time required for half the tumors to reach 1000 cu mm from treatment day and of the treatment time required for one-half of the animals to develop a loss of one toe or greater reaction. The glucose administration enhanced tumor response more substantially than normal tissue response. The enhancement was greater for a large tumor than for a small tumor and also greater at 42.0 degrees than at 45.5 degrees. Presumably, the hyperglycemia induced acidosis which eventually enhanced thermal response. Present results suggested that the hyperglycemia is a potential method to specifically enhance tumor response at elevated temperatures.