Characterization of human cells transformed by chemical and physical carcinogens in vitro.

Several different classes of chemical carcinogens induced the transformation of human fibroblasts grown in vitro. Characteristics of the events that occur from time of treatment through the expression of neoplastic transformation are presented. The S-phase appeared to be the portion of the cell cycle most vulnerable to insult. Staging of the cells by blocking them in G1 before releasing them to proceed through scheduled DNA synthesis (S) was required to induce reproducible transformation. Compounds such as insulin were added to the cells upon release from the block to sensitize the cells to the carcinogen that was added during S. Growth of the transformed cells as distinct from nontransformed cells was promoted by growth in medium supplemented with 8X nonessential amino acids. Carcinogen-treated cells in the early stage of transformation exhibited abnormal colony morphology and were able to grow at 41 degrees C, in air atmosphere, and in medium supplemented with only 1% serum. In addition, the transformed cells were insensitive to KB cell lysate and exhibited density independent, as well as anchorage independent, growth (i.e., growth in 0.33% agar). Cells that grew in soft agar also produced undifferentiated mesenchymal tumors in preirradiated nude mice.

Ultraviolet radiation-induced neoplastic transformation of normal human cells, in vitro.

Human foreskin cell cultures in scheduled DNA synthesis (S phase) of the cell cycle were exposed to UV irradiation at a dose of 10 J . m-1 in the presence of insulin. These treated cell populations, when selectively passaged in a high amino acid supplemented complete growth medium (CM) after 20 Dulbecco's phosphate buffered saline (pH 6.8) (PDL), were able to be grown in soft agar. These treated cell populations were also grown in 1% serum supplemented growth medium and at 41 degrees C in 10% serum supplemented growth medium. Cell populations 4--5 PDL after treatment exhibited altered colony morphology and altered lectin agglutination profiles but would not grow in soft agar. These events appeared to be associated with the early stages in the expression phase of the transformed phenotype. After 20 PDL, we observed that these cells would grow in soft agar at a frequency of 20 colonies/10(5) cells seeded in soft agar. The cell populations derived from these colonies, when propagated and injected into the nude mice, formed myxofibromas at the injection sites rather than the type of tumor (fibrosarcoma) previously described for chemical carcinogen-induced neoplasms.