THE EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE ON THE GROWTH OF VIRUS-INDUCED FROG CARCINOMA

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Abstract
The quantitative relation between temp. and rate of growth can be expressed by the coefficient of van''t Hoff, Q10. Values of this coeff. for various forms of normal growth are remarkably similar usually ranging between 2 and 3; i.e., an increase in temp. of 10[degree]C doubles or trebles the rate of growth. There are no comparable data for cancer. Since the growth of cancer differs so radically in a number of ways from all kinds of normal growth, expts. were designed to find a temp. coeff. for cancer. Study was made of the carcinoma that commonly occurs in the kidney of the leopard frog as result of the action of an organ-specific virus. The rate of growth of this cancer in tissue cultures was studied. The temp. coefficient of van''t Hoff, Q10, for growth of frog carcinoma in vitro over a range of 20-35[degree]C averages 2.5. This value is closely similar to those for various forms of normal growth. The values of the temp. coeff. slightly but progressively decrease with advancing age of the cancer colonies. A similar relation obtains in many but not in all forms of normal growth. Thus, the law of van''t Hoff is found to hold equally for growth of the malignant tissue now under discussion and for normal tissue.

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