Hypoglycaemia and malignancy differences of closely related sublines of a rat tumour.

A possible basis for the differences in malignancy between three closely related sublines of the WBP1 ascites tumour of the rat has been studied by examining the biochemical changes in rat sera during tumour growth in vivo. Death appeared to be due to hypoglycaemia and the ability to induce this condition correlated with the differences in malignancy between the sublines; WBP1 (X) and WBP1 (V), the more malignant sublines, inducing hypoglycaemia earlier and more rapidly than the least malignant subline WBP1 (A). Possible mechanisms whereby the tumour produces these effects are discussed.