Tumor necrosis factor and interferon gamma inhibit the development of radiation-induced thymic lymphomas in C57BL/Ka mice.

Recombinant tumor necrosis factor and/or gamma-interferon were injected into C57BL/Ka mice after completion of a whole body split dose irradiation, which usually induces thymic lymphomas in more than 90% of the animals. The survival and the incidence of thymic lymphomas were significantly reduced in the cytokine-injected irradiated mice. The protective effect was similar to that obtained by grafting normal bone marrow cells after irradiation. The mechanisms of lymphoma inhibition by TNF or IFN-gamma are discussed.