Chemical carcinogen-induced transplantable fibrosarcomas in histocompatible chickens. I. Incidence of tumor induction in normal and bursectomized chickens.

Transplantable fibrosarcomas were developed in two B-locus-defined chicken strains from primary tumors induced by im injection of 2 mg 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene in 0.1 ml dimethyl sulfoxide into 1- to 2-week-old chicks. Viruses were not important factors in transmission of these tumors as evidenced by 1) transplantability only within the chicken strain of origin, 2) lack of evidence for a filterable agent, 3) maintenance of donor karyotypic characteristics upon transplantation, 4) lack of DNA polymerase and avian leukosis virus group-specific protein production in vitro. Bursectomized inbred SC chickens had a higher incidence of tumor induction than did normals of the same strain. Although the exact interpretation of this finding posed some problems, as discussed, an important function of enhancing antibody in tumor growth appeared excluded.