title: Genotoxicity of chemical and physical agents in cultured human tissues and cells.
abstract: In vitro model systems have recently been developed to investigate the toxicity of chemical, microbial and physical agents in normal human tissues and cells from many of the major tissue sites of high cancer incidence. Pathobiological endpoints used in these studies include alterations in incorporation rates of precursors into DNA, RNA and protein, in the clonal growth rate of cultured cells and in DNA structure (e.g. single-strand breaks, DNA-protein crosslinks and chemical-DNA adducts) and the induction of differentiation, chromosomal and karyotypic abnormalities, mutations and neoplastic transformation. These systems have been used to study a variety of complex mixtures and individual substances, including cigarette smoke components such as benzo[a]pyrene and N-nitrosamines, formaldehyde, fecapentaenes, asbestos, and nickel and chromium ions. In addition, increasing awareness of the role of oncogenes in human carcinogenesis has led to studies involving transfection experiments with oncogenes and hepatitis B viral genes in normal human cells.
mesh_terms: D001194:Asbestos / Q000633:toxicity; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002857:Chromium / Q000633:toxicity; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D005243:Feces / Q000032:analysis; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D009153:Mutagens; D009532:Nickel / Q000633:toxicity; D009602:Nitrosamines / Q000378:metabolism; D009857:Oncogenes; D010947:Plants, Toxic; D012906:Smoke / Q000032:analysis; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000032:analysis; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D009153:Mutagens; D009602:Nitrosamines; D012906:Smoke; D002857:Chromium; D001194:Asbestos; D009532:Nickel; D004247:DNA