title: Lung endocrine-like cells in hamsters treated with diethylnitrosamine: alterations in vivo and in cell culture.
abstract: Diethylnitrosamine is known to cause squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of the lung in Syrian golden hamsters. Sections of lungs obtained from hamsters treated with the systemic carcinogen diethylnitrosamine showed a significant increase in the number of argyrophilic cells of neuroepithelial bodies. The hyperplastic response was retained at least 4 weeks after cessation of treatment. To examine whether these affected cells exhibited enhanced survival in vitro, lung cells were dissociated with Pronase and grown in culture. After 7 days, argyrophilia, dense-cored vesicles, and corticotropin-like immunoreactivity were observed in many of the cells derived from hamsters treated for 5 or 8 weeks. These findings suggest that the endocrine-like cells of neuroepithelial bodies are affected by diethylnitrosamine as evidenced by a numerical increase in vivo and by the properties exhibited by cells in vitro. The relationship of this diethylnitrosamine-induced reaction to bronchial carcinoid tumors or small-cell carcinoma of the lung remains to be established.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006224:Cricetinae; D004052:Diethylnitrosamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004702:Endocrine Glands / Q000187:drug effects; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D008168:Lung / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008647:Mesocricetus; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009490:Neurosecretory Systems / Q000187:drug effects; D009602:Nitrosamines / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D009602:Nitrosamines; D004052:Diethylnitrosamine