Transfusion experiments in dogs showing artificially implanted tumors

Abstract

Direct transfusion of the whole blood from immune dogs to dogs with actively growing, artificially implanted tumors has been carried out upon a series of six animals. The operative method of this transfusion is the same as has been used by one of us in a large series of experiments previously reported in the proceedings of this society. 1 In the first set of three, sufficient time has elapsed to determine the outcome, and we give below brief data of each experiment in this series.

I. Dog 116. Planted Jan. 7, 1907. Tumors were first seen on Feb. 20; continued to grow slowly. March 20, transfusion experiment — dog was bled 400 c.c. and immediately transfused with 550 c.c. of blood from dog 244, in which implantation had occurred on Jan. 18th; tumors were first noticed on Feb. 6th, and had continued to grow until Feb. 20th, when they began to regress. Regression complete March 7th. Three days after transfusion, dog 244 was again planted with tumor. Four plants were made with positive results in three and tumors are growing at the present time. The immunity which dog 244 possessed as a result of the previous growth and regression of the tumors could not have been very marked. The effect of this transfusion upon tumors of dog 116 was negative, since they continued to grow until the death of the animal in a cachetic condition four weeks later.

11. Dog I 25. Weight I 3 kilos. Tumors were planted Dec. 6th. All plants grew and continued to increase in size until the day of transfusion, March 20. On this day the dog was bled 500 C.C. and immediately transfused with the same quantity of blood from Dog 163. The latter animal had previously grown these tumors, but they had completely regressed. Repeated implantations failed to give tumor growth, and although the animal had the mange and was in poor physical condition, he was used for the donor in the transfusion.