title: Quantitation of growth-altered cell populations (tumor-initiation sites) induced in open-ended rat tracheal implants by split doses of benzo[a]pyrene.
abstract: The numbers of tumor-initiation sites (TIS) induced by split doses of benzo[a]pyrene (BAP) in open-ended rat tracheal implants (OETI) were quantitated as the average number of growth-altered cell populations isolated per carcinogen-exposed OETI. These growth-altered cell populations were identified as primary cell cultures which survive in medium lacking a pyruvate supplement, a condition in which normal tracheal cells die. The OETI were exposed to an average total dose of 1450 micrograms BAP, which was delivered twice weekly from 170-, 76- or 41-micrograms BAP-gelatin pellets over 4.5, 9 or 18 weeks respectively. OETI exposed for 4.5 or 9 weeks had 0.33 TIS/trachea when growth-altered cell populations were selected at 14 days from the first and second outgrowth cultures. An additional 1.0-1.17 TIS/OETI were detected if selection was delayed until 63 days in the third and fourth outgrowth cultures. In contrast, 2.0 TIS/trachea were selected after 14 days of culture from OETI pre-exposed for 18 weeks, and an additional 2.50/trachea were detected if selection was delayed to 28-63 days of culture. The TIS from this last group were also distinguished by more rapid growth and a large number of multiple cell cultures from the same explant, which indicated that more than one TIS was present on the explant and/or the growth-altered cell population had expanded enough to appear in more than one outgrowth culture. These growth-altered cell populations had also acquired a high degree (83%) of subculturability, i.e. immortality. These results suggest that OETI exposed repeatedly for a long duration had many TIS of which many had received multiple hits necessary for rapid progression of neoplasia. A large number of TIS were induced by a 4.5-week exposure, when the total BAP dose was doubled to 2934 micrograms. In this case a total of 5.75 TIS were induced per OETI. However, the cell cultures grew slowly, few multiple cultures were obtained, and only 52% of the growth-altered cell populations were subculturable.
authors: Biology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, TN 37831.
authors: A C
authors: AC
authors: Marchok
authors: L M
authors: LM
authors: Arnseth
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001564:Benzo(a)pyrene / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006965:Hyperplasia; D008297:Male; D008679:Metaplasia; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D014132:Trachea / Q000473:pathology; D014134:Tracheal Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced*
chemical_list: D001564:Benzo(a)pyrene