Immunosuppression in primary liver and colon tumor induction with N-hydroxy-N-2-fluorenylacetamide and azoxymethane.

The question was examined as to whether immunosuppression in a rat model system would affect the carcinogenic processes leading to tumors in the liver and the large bowel. The protocols were designed to detect an increased incidence or a shorter latent period stemming from a change in immune status. Groups of rats were given injections prior to initiation of the carcinogen regimen and continuously thereafter with a purified gamma fraction of antilymphocytic serum (ALG). Appropriate controls received the gamma fraction of normal rabbit serum or 0.9% NaCl solution. Permanence of skin allografts showed that ALG was an effective immunosuppressive treatment. For liver cancer induction, rats were fed 120 ppm N-hydroxy-N-2-fluorenylacetamide in the diet for 16 weeks, then were continued on control diet. The animals given ALG developed liver tumors at a rate similar to that of controls. For cancer of the large bowel, rats received a single s.c. dose of 7.5 mg azoxymethane per kg per week for 16 weeks and were then held on control diet. With an identical ALG treatment, there were fewer intestinal tumors in the early part of the treatment, because of the important early development of liver angiosarcoma, not seen in control rats given injections of 0.9% NaCl solution. At a later time, the incidence of intestinal cancer was similar in rats on ALG or on 0.9% NaCl solution. Thus, immunosuppression had little effect on the rate of liver tumor formation with a liver carcinogen. Also, ALG led to the precocious development of liver angiosarcomas, but failed to affect intestinal cancer induction in animals given azoxymethane.