[Anti-tumour cytostatic and cytotoxic properties of peritoneal exudate cells of conventional and germ-free mice, stimulated or not by "Corynebacterium parvum" (author's transl)].

The treatment by Corynebacterium parvum induced an increase of peritoneal cell number in conventional mice but no modifications in germ-free mice. Against YC8 tumoral target cells, cytostatic properties of peritoneal cells were of the same intensity in conventional and germ-free after C. parvum treatment. Against K.BALB cells, C. parvum treatment induced an increase of cytostatic properties from 9 to 93% in conventional mice and from 51 to 84% in germ-free mice. Cytotoxic properties were increased by C. parvum in conventional mice but were unchanged in germ-free mice. The bacterial flora could play a role in the cytotoxic and cytostatic properties of peritoneal cells in conventional mice.