[Study of the growth zone of the thymus during the spontaneous development of mammary tumors in rats].

The methods of quantitative histochemistry were employed to study a subcapsular zone of the thymus under development of spontaneous mammary tumors in rats. In case of pretumor changes (fibrous-cystic mastopathy) some alterations in the metabolism of thymocytes were noted, which were manifested in the absence of DNA gain, a reduced level of cytoplasmatic and nuclear RNA, and a lack of correlation between NADP-diaphorase and DNA dispersion. Changes in the metabolism of T-lymphocytes at the initial stage of their maturation are likely to contribute to the occurrence of immunodepression followed by tumor appearance.