Cell-specific activation of chemical carcinogens into mutagens for cultured human and rodent cells

Conference · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:5564734

Huberman, E; Oravec, C T; Jones, C A

The objective of in vitro bioassays is to predict the carcinogenic risk to man of exposure to environmental chemicals. Because most chemical carcinogens are mutagenic after appropriate metabolic activation, it is believed that the process of malignant transformation is initiated by ''mutational events'' in genes that control cell growth and differentiation. Mutagenic activity as measured in in vitro assays is, therefore, widely used as an indicator of carcinogenic hazard from chemicals, These in vitro assays, although useful, have a number of deficiencies: (1) the mutagenic activity of many chemicals is not necessarily related to their carcinogenic effectiveness; (2) the organ to be affected by the carcinogen is usually not indicated; and (3) the response of the bacterial or rodent cells used in these assays to the tested chemicals may be different from that of human cells. This paper describes efforts overcome some of the shortcomings in these assays. In this context, we have developed mammalian cell-mediated mutagenesis assays that may circumvent some of these deficiencies. 28 refs.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 5564734
• Report Number(s): CONF-8506137-8; ON: DE85014999
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560301* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Cells-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AMINES
ANIMAL CELLS
ANIMALS
AROMATICS
BENZOPYRENE
BIOASSAY
CARCINOGEN SCREENING
CELL CULTURES
CONDENSED AROMATICS
CONNECTIVE TISSUE CELLS
DIMETHYLBENZANTHRACENE
ENZYMES
FIBROBLASTS
GLYCOSYL TRANSFERASES
HYDRAZINE
HYDROCARBONS
HYPOXANTHINE PHOSPHORIBOSYLTRANSFERASE
LIVER CELLS
MAMMALS
MUTAGEN SCREENING
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROSAMINES
NITROSO COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
PENTOSYL TRANSFERASES
RATS
RODENTS
SCREENING
SOMATIC CELLS
TRANSFERASES
USES
VERTEBRATES