Temperature-dependent growth and regression of epidermal tumors in the european eel (Anguilla anguilla L.).

The population of eels in the Elbe estuary showed a high rate of affliction with epidermal papillomas. Distinct seasonal fluctuations were observed in the frequency of occurrence and tumor size. In spring and autumn, the frequency was low, and the tumors were relatively small. In summer, the tumors reached a maximum in both frequency and size. A distinct influence of water temperature on tumor growth was demonstrated experimentally. Summer temperatures of 15--22 degrees C caused very rapid growth. In the field and in the laboratory, the tumors exhibited a fourfold increase in average volume within 3 months. These fast-growing neoplasms had certain relatively uniform histologic features. The tumor cells were separated by wide intercellular spaces. The basal layer was composed of tall columnar cells, while the surface layer was composed of slightly flattened cells. Winter water temperatures (5--10 degrees C) inhibited tumor growth and even caused tumor regression. In 3 months, the papillomas shrank to half of their initial size. Histologic and ultrastructural examinations revealed signs of tissue degeneration: necrobiotic processes in the epidermal region, cellular and nuclear polymorphisms, dissolution of membranes, loss of cell integrity, and loosening and reduction in size of the basal cell layer.