Synergistic anti-suppressor effect of mini cells prepared from Salmonella typhimurium and mitomycin C in EL 4-bearing mice.

The subcutaneous growth of EL4 cells was significantly accelerated when they were injected together with spleen cells collected from mice which had received EL4 cells SC 14 days previously, and all mice died within 18 days after receiving this mixture; 80% of mice which received a mixture of EL4 and spleen cells collected immediately after EL4 graft survived over 40 days. Spleen cells collected 14 days after EL4 graft suppressed the blastogenic responses of normal spleen lymphocytes to concanavalin A, pokeweed mitogen, and lipopolysaccharide of Escherichia coli in a mixed culture system. Acceleration of tumor growth was retarded when EL4 cells were injected together with spleen cells from EL4-bearing mice treated with both Salmonella typhimurium mini-cells and mitomycin C, and 60% of mice survived over 40 days. Blastogenic responses of normal spleen lymphocytes mixed with spleen cells from EL4-bearing mice treated with both mini-cells and mitomycin C were restored almost to control levels. The results suggest that combination treatment with mini-cells and mitomycin C synergistically inhibits the induction of suppressor cells in EL4-bearing mice.