Trafficking of syngeneic murine lymphokine activated killer T cells following intraperitoneal administration in normal and tumor bearing mice.

Nongenetically restricted T cells may be important host effector cells in women with ovarian cancer receiving intraperitoneal (ip) IL-2 therapy. We developed an in vitro technique to produce murine lymphokine-activated killer T cells. Murine splenocytes were cultured in the presence of 1000 U/ml IL-2 for 10 to 15 days. Phenotypical analysis showed 95% of total cells to express the pan T phenotype Thy 1.2 and no NK cell phenotypes by Day 7 in culture. These cells were labeled with 51Cr and their trafficking pattern after ip administration into normal and M5067 tumor bearing mice was examined. Various organs and tissues were collected at different timepoints and monitored for radioactivity. Within 4 hr., about 60% of the counts were associated with the bowel, peritoneum, and omentum of both normal and tumor bearing mice. About 15% of counts were associated with the blood, lung, kidney, spleen, and liver of both normal and tumor bearing mice.