Experimental carcinogenesis in duct-artery ligated rat submandibular gland.

In an attempt to shorten tumor induction time and alter tumor anaplasticity, ductal metaplasia was induced in the submandibular gland of 30 rats by ligation of the duct and artery followed by the implanation of 4-mg pellets of pure DMBA. Control groups consisted of 19-ligated and 15-DMBA implanted rats. The ligate controls showed degeneration and atrophy of the affected gland and replacement of glandular tissue by scar tissue. The DMBA controls followed the expected pattern, with all rats eventually developing well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. The CMBA-ligated rats showed a combination of the two processes, each acting separately from the other. There was no difference either in induction time or tumor anaplasticity between the DMBA control rats and the DMBA-ligated rats. It seems that only factors relating to a change in the immunologic response of the host affect the latent period of tumor induction time in submandibular gland carcinogenesis.