Antitumor effects of interferon in mice injected with interferon-sensitive and interferon-resistant friend leukemia cells. II. Role of host mechanisms

Abstract

We have attempted to determine what host mechanisms are responsible for inducing a rapid decrease in the number of Friend leukemia cells (FLC) in the peritoneal cavity of interferon-treated mice. By injecting radiolabelled FLC, we showed that there was a greater loss of radioactivity from individual interferon-treated mice than from control mice. Thus, it was likely that fewer cells were recovered from the peritoneal cavity of interferontreated mice because of cell destruction. Treatment of mice with interferon limited to the period preceding tumor-cell inoculation conferred some degree of antitumor activity, although this regimen was far less effective than when interferon treatment was initiated and continued daily after tumor-cell inoculation. We have been unable to transfer any antitumor activity with peritoneal washings containing macrophages and lymphocytes from interferon-treated donor mice to tumor-inoculated recipient mice. Inoculation of silica particles i.p., which destroys macrophage function and may affect NK cell activity, did not abrogate interferon's antitumor activity. We suggest that interferon induces a host-mediated antitumor effect by mechanisms which are not mediated by easily recoverable soluble factors or by cytotoxic cells. The nature of this potent interferon-induced host mechanism remains unknown.