Meyer J D, Meyer J A
J Natl Cancer Inst. 1977 Sep;59(3):1023-6. doi: 10.1093/jnci/59.3.1023.
Groups of inbred rats were inoculated with the Walker 256 carcinosarcoma. The weights of their spleens and thymuses were determined on days 16 and 23 after the tumor inoculation. Spleen weights increased progressively as the tumors grew (P less than 0.001 on day 16 as compared to controls, much less on day 23). Thymus weights decreased at the same intervals (P less than 0.05 on day 16 as compared to controls; P less than 0.001 on day 23). In other groups of inbred rats, splenectomy was performed 5 days prior to tumor inoculation. If splenectomized animals were not inoculated with tumor, thymus weight did not change. Previously splenectomized, tumor-bearing animals also showed no decrease in thymus weight on day 16 or 23. Thymus weight remained greater in splenectomized, tumor-bearing animals than in intact, tumor-bearing animals on day 16 (P less than 0.05) and on day 23 (P less than 0.001). Microscopic examination of thymuses on day 23 revealed some depletion of cortical lymphocytes in splenectomized, tumor-bearing animals and profound depletion of these lymphocytes in intact, tumor-bearing animals. Tumor weights and measurements did not differ between splenectomized, tumor-bearing and intact, tumor-bearing animals. Equal rates of tumor growth provided for a roughly equal tumor burden at termination of the experiment.
将近交系大鼠分组，接种沃克256癌肉瘤。在接种肿瘤后的第16天和第23天测定其脾脏和胸腺的重量。随着肿瘤生长，脾脏重量逐渐增加（与对照组相比，第16天P<0.001，第23天更低）。胸腺重量在相同时间间隔内下降（与对照组相比，第16天P<0.05；第23天P<0.001）。在其他近交系大鼠组中，在接种肿瘤前5天进行脾切除术。如果脾切除的动物不接种肿瘤，胸腺重量不变。先前已行脾切除且接种肿瘤的动物在第16天或第23天胸腺重量也未下降。在第16天（P<0.05）和第23天（P<0.001），脾切除且接种肿瘤的动物的胸腺重量仍高于完整且接种肿瘤的动物。在第23天对胸腺进行显微镜检查发现，脾切除且接种肿瘤的动物皮质淋巴细胞有一些减少，而完整且接种肿瘤的动物这些淋巴细胞有严重减少。脾切除且接种肿瘤的动物与完整且接种肿瘤的动物之间肿瘤重量和尺寸无差异。肿瘤生长速率相同，使得实验结束时肿瘤负荷大致相等。
