Summary
Spontaneous leukemia was found to occur in 15.8 to 22% of inbred Wistar Furth rats, and the leukemia was characterized by an unusual type of mononuclear cell containing distinct reddish granules. Enlargement of the spleen, leukemic infiltration with lobular hyperplasia of the liver, and severe hemolytic anemia were other features of the disease. Average age at death was 22 months; administration of 3-methylcholanthrene to young rats increased, but total-body X-ray markedly decreased, the rate of leukemia. The high incidence of leukemia, long “latent” period, and distinctive cell type are features which provide a unique opportunity for investigation of leukemogenesis in this species.
This investigation was supported by USPHS Grant CA 05691-05 from the National Cancer Institute. It should be noted that these studies were carried out in the Research Laboratory, Holy Ghost Hospital, Cambridge, Massachusetts, prior to transfer to the Children's Cancer Research Foundation.
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