Development of lymphosarcoma lines with high metastatic ability to lymph nodes and visceral organs in BALB/c mice.

A metastatic tumor population was isolated in BALB/c mice during routine s.c. passage of the colon 26 adenocarcinoma. The tumor metastasized to lymph nodes, liver, spleen, ovary and kidney. A primary culture established from the s.c. growing tumor was composed of both adherent and nonadherent cells. These two cell types were successfully separated from the primary culture and designated CMS (suspension cells) and CMA (adherent cells). The CMS and CMA cell lines are morphologically distinct in culture; however both formed similar histopathologic tumors when inoculated s.c. Furthermore, both tumor lines showed identical metastatic patterns in BALB/c mice with involvement of lymph node, liver, spleen, ovary and kidney. CMS and CMA expressed T-antigen as revealed by FITC-labeled-anti-Thy 1.2 antibody. Chromosome analysis and morphologic studies by light and electron microscopy indicated that the present metastatic lines have no relationship with the colon 26 adenocarcinoma and seem to be non-thymic T-cell lymphosarcomas which developed spontaneously in BALB/c mice.