The effect of sarcoma 180 and other stressing agents upon adrenal nucleic acids.

The effects of Sarcoma 180, heterologous tissue implantation, and daily injections of turpentine upon adrenal and liver nucleic acids were investigated. Progressive tumor growth caused an initial elevation in adrenal ribonucleic acid (RNA) which was followed by a return to control levels. Adrenal deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) con centration was increased during most of the period of tumor growth. The combined effect, as measured by the RNA/DNA ratio, resulted in a marked decrease below the controLs as tumor growth progressed. Neither of the two nonspecific stresses studied simulated the effect of tumor growth upon adrenal nucleic acids. In general, the liver nucleic acid changes paralleled those found in the adrenal, best exemplified by the RNA/DNA ratios. These results indicate that Sarcoma 180 had a rather unique effect upon adrenal nucleic acids, and these results are discussed in relationship to the other stresses studied.