Staging, growth properties and metastatic behaviour of a transplantable murine T-cell lymphoma

Cell surface markers, enzymatic patterns, proliferation characteristics and metastatic behaviour of the DSA/2 derived SL2 lymphoma were determined. SL2 cells are sensitive to a heterologous antiserum to murine T-cells and to allo-antisera for Thy 1.2 and TL 1.2.3. They show acid-phosphatase, betaglucuronidase, acid-alpha-naphthytesterase and non-specific esterase staining. The reactions for ATP-ase, and 5'nucleotidase were negative. The SL2 tumour cells can be transplanted in vivo, growing rapidly both as an ascites or a solid tumour, and can be grown in vitro as a suspension culture (doubling time about 18 hours). One hundred cells kill an animal after i.p. transplantation, while 1,000 cells kill an animal after s.c. transplantation. Histopathological examination combined with TEM shows that SL2 metastasizes rapidly, especially after i.p. injection. The metastasizing cells reach the blood vessels in the lung septa and extravascular positions in the liver.