Intracellular levels of polyamines in Krebs II lymphosarcoma cells in mice fed phytohaemagglutinin-containing diets are coupled with altered tumour growth.

The number of Krebs II tumour cells recovered from the ascitic fluid of mice fed for 8 days on a lactalbumin (La) control diet was about three times higher than that in animals fed a phytohaemagglutinin-containing (PHA) diet. Feeding a PHA diet for less than 8 days after tumour cell injection also led to a reduction in tumour cell growth. There was an apparent inverse relationship between the total tumour cell count and the intracellular content of putrescine, spermidine and spermine. Hyperplasia of the small intestine occurred in the mice during the development of the ascites. A series of other organs were not affected in the same manner. The results indicate that the polyamine content of Krebs II ascites cells must increase by more than three-fold in order to achieve the intracellular concentration necessary to be able to enter the S-phase. A partial synchronization of the tumour cell population is suggested. Hyperplastic growth of the small intestine would appear to compete with tumour cells for polyamines from a common body pool.