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. 1990 Jul;116(4):357–364. doi: 10.1007/BF01612918

A host-mediated in vivo/in vitro assay with peritoneal murine macrophages for the detection of carcinogenic chemicals

Th Massa 1, T Gerber 1, V Pfaffenholz 1, A Chandra 1, B Schlatterer 2, P Chandra 1,✉
PMCID: PMC12201698  PMID: 2391356

Abstract

We have developed a host-mediated assay system for the detection of the transforming action of chemcial carcinogens on peritoneal marcrophages. Directly as well as indirectly acting carcinogenic substances administered intraperitoneally to NMRI mice could be examined in this way. Resident macrophages were recovered by peritoneal lavage from treated and untreated mice and were cultured in soft agar. After 5–6 days normal and transformed cells could be distinguished. Statistical analysis comparing cells, for example, fromα-naphthylamine or diphenylhydantoin-treated animals with those from control mice proved that the test is positive at least on a significance level of 5% using the West. Further substances revealing a cell-transformation potential were benzene, benz(a)pyrene, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzodioxin,N-nitrosodimethyl-amine, ethidium bromide, aflatoxinB 1,N-methyl-N-nitrosourea, 1-methyl-3-nitro-1-nitrosoguanidine, 2-naphthylamine, dieldrin, suramin and trichloroethylene. A weak transforming potential was found for chlorambucil as well as for tetrachloroethylene. With toluene or azidothymidine no cell transformation could be observed. Several immortal cell lines could be established form NMRI mice treated withα-naphthylamine orN-methyl-N-nitrosourea. Athymic nu/ nu mice injected subcutaneously with these cells developed tumors, establishing the oncogenic potential of these cell lines.

Key words: Soft agar, Peritoneal macrophages, Diphenylhydantoin, α-naphthylamine, Host-mediated in vivo/in vitro assay

Abbreviations

TPA

12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate

PBS

phosphate-buffered saline

Footnotes

This work was supported financially by Umweltbundesamt, Berlin (grants 10603054 and 10603098)

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