Skin Nucleic Acid Phosphorus Metabolism of DBA/1J Mice during Implanted Tumor Development and Methylcholanthrene Carcinogenesis1

Implanted tumors and methylcholanthrene Carcinogenesis increase the turnover of phosphorus in the total nucleic acids of histologically normal DBA/1J mouse skin. As the implanted tumors progress for 6 days, the turnover rate of nucleic acid phosphorus in the histologically normal skin increases to 4 times that of control skin from normal DBA/1J mice. At this same time, 68% of the histologically normal skin implants from the tumor-bearing mice develop into lymphosarcomas when implanted into normal DBA/1J mice. Painting mice on the dorsum with methylcholanthrene re sults in a decrease in the turnover rate of nucleic acid phos phorus of the painted skin. However, the nucleic acid phos phorus turnover of ventral unpainted skin from the same mice is increased as painting progresses. After six weeks of painting, the ventral unpainted skin, though histologically nor mal, develops into a lymphosarcoma when implanted into nor mal DBA/1J mice. This transplantability occurs after the appearance of papillomas on the painted area.