Comparison of Two Different Transplantable Mammotropic Pituitary Tumors. Hormone Content and Effect on Host

Abstract

Summary A pituitary tumor (7315a) from a rat treated with 2,4,6-trimethylaniline was transplantable. Studies during the eighth and twelfth transfer generation of 7315a showed the tumor to be similar to the mammotropic tumor MtT F4 established by Furth in that it contained the same 3 pituitary hormones, which produced similar changes in the organs of the host. MtT 7315a and MtT F4 contained the same concentration of prolactin (2 IU/g dry weight) but MtT F4 contained more than 10 times the, concentration of growth hormone and ACTH found in MtT 7315a, Correspondingly rats with MtT 7315a grew less rapidly and had less hypertrophy of the liver, kidney and preputial gland than rats with MtT F4, but the mammary glands were larger. Both tumor lines induced equally large adrenals (9 X normal) and blood levels of corticosterone (8 X normal) but the ascorbic acid concentration of the adrenal was different (7315a: 94 vs F4: 180 mg/100g) due to difference in growth hormone levels.