The Failure of Purified Penicillin to Retard the Growth of Grafts of Sarcoma in Mice

Abstract

32 albino mice with sarcoma transplants were given from 33,333 Oxford units each to 1000 units each of Merck''s purified penicillin. At the end of 14 days all the penicillin treated mice as well as 2 untreated controls had tumors of about the same size and were dead or moribund. Roller tube tissue culture expts. showed that highly purified penicillin did not damage growing normal or sarcomatous cells whereas a less purified yellow Na salt of penicillin (Squibb, Lot 87225) damaged the growing sarcomatous cells without injuring the normal cells. Injs. of a yellow Ca salt of penicillin into 4 mice implanted with sarcoma grafts failed to inhibit tumor growth.