INTRACELLULAR LEVELS OF POLYAMINES IN KREBS-II LYMPHOSARCOMA CELLS INMICE FED PHYTOHEMAGGLUTININ-CONTAINING DIETS ARE COUPLED WITH ALTEREDTUMOR-GROWTH

The number of Krebs II tumour cells recovered from the ascitic fluid o f mice fed for 8 days on a lactalbumin (La) control diet was about thr ee times higher than that in animals fed a phytohaemagglutinin-contain ing (PHA) diet. Feeding a PHA diet for less than 8 days after tumour c ell injection also led to a reduction in tumour cell growth. There was an apparent inverse relationship between the total tumour cell count and the intracellular content of putrescine, spermidine and spermine. Hyperplasia of the small intestine occurred in the mice during the dev elopment of the ascites. A series of other organs were not affected in the same manner. The results indicate that the polyamine content of K rebs II ascites cells must increase by more than three-fold in order t o achieve the intracellular concentration necessary to be able to ente r the S-phase. A partial synchronization of the tumour cell population is suggested. Hyperplastic growth of the small intestine would appear to compete with tumour cells for polyamines from a common body pool. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.