The Carcinogen 20-Methylcholanthrene and Salivary Gland Transplants

Salivary gland homotransplants, treated with 20-methyleholanthrene,failed to survive in the eyes of guinea pigs. These transplants survived better in the brains of guinea pigs, after an initial period between 10 to 30 days,when a number of animals with carcinogen-treated brain transplants became moribund and died. In the brains of guinea pigs, these methyleholanthrenetreated transplants showed ductal distention and proliferation of ductal epithelium. Acinar groups showed an increase in number and, after a period of 60 days, there was anaplasia of these cells. There were also areas of keratinous proliferation and invasion of adjacent brain tissue. There was malignant transformation which, in the present experiments, took place more frequently than had been experienced with carcinogens and tooth germ transplants. © 1959, Sage Publications. All rights reserved