Differential Cytostatic Effect of Interferon on Murine BALB/c B- and T-Cell Tumors

Abstract

The cytostatic effect of murine inferieron (IFN) on several BALB/c-derived B- and T-cell tumor cells was examined. After incubation for 1 h in vitro with 1000 U of IFN, followed by intraperitoneal inoculation, tumor formation was not decreased in the case of B cell tumors or Lyt-1⁺2^- or Lyt-l⁺2⁺3⁺ T cells tumors. Under the same conditions, the onset of tumor formation for Lyt-2⁺3⁺ T-cell tumors was delayed and the final incidence decreased. When the effect of IFN on cell multiplication in vitro was examined, Lyt-2⁺3⁺ T-tumor cells were found to be more sensitive to the cytostatic effect of IFN than Lyt-1⁺2⁺3⁺ T-tumor cells. This shows that the sensitivity of lymphocyte-derived tumor cells to the cytostatic effect of IFN is influenced by the type of differentiation of the cells.