Variations of the content of lysozyme in normal rats and rats bearing Jensen sarcoma following surgery.

Lysozyme activity increased in rats bearing the Jensen sarcoma transplantable tumor. The increase was maximal in the kidneys. Lysozyme activity in the lung and intestine was little affected by tumor growth. Removal of the tumor mass by surgery was followed by a rapid return to normal levels of renal lysozyme activity. A decrease also occurred if the tumor spontaneously regressed. Splenectomy produced a significant decrease of lysozyme activity in the kidneys of normal rats. The same operation in tumor-bearing rats lowered the lysozyme activity in the kidneys but to a lesser extent than in normal rats.