Establishment of a cell line from a human fetal liver and its xenotransplantation to nude mice.
An epithelial cell line, NuE15-1, was established from the liver of a 24-week-old human fetus. The cells had round clear nuclei with clear (agranular) cytoplasm of polygonal shape and grew in a pavement-like manner. The karyotype was human and heteroploid. alpha-Fetoprotein and alpha 1-antitrypsin were detected in the concentrated culture medium but albumin was not. This may indicate the hepatocytic origin of the cell line. Malignant transformation was confirmed by xenotransplantability to nude mice. When inoculated intraperitoneally, the implanted cells caused lethal peritonitis carcinomatosa in 9 out of 10 mice within 3 weeks and liver metastasis was observed in one case. A possible role of alpha-fetoprotein-producing cells as precursors of tumor cells in hepatocarcinogenesis is discussed.
D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D005333:Fetus; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000209:etiology*; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins