Abstract
An epithelial cell line (PuD2) was established from the lung of rat exposed to plutonium dioxides. Transplantation of the PuD2 cells into nude mice resulted in the formation of nodules with a diameter of 12-15 mm in two weeks. Several respiratory tract epithelial cell lines established from normal rats were also transplanted to compare tumorigenicity at different stages of cell growth. Although virus-immortalized SV40T2 cells and gamma ray-induced and transformed RTiv3 cells could not be transplantable, benzo [a] pyrene-induced BP, BP(P)Tu, BP130 and BP270 cells formed nodules three weeks after the transplantation. The second transplantation of these BP cell lines resulted in a rapid growth within two weeks. These results indicate that the tumorigenicity of respiratory tract epithelial cell lines is dependent on their different stages of the carcinogenic processes from the initiation through promotion and leading to the progression. Their association with chromosomal aberrations and/or genetic alterations is under investigation. [J Radiat Res 44:394 (2003)]
