CORRELATION OF INITIATING POTENCY OF SKIN CARCINOGENS WITH POTENCY TO INDUCE RESISTANCE TO TERMINAL DIFFERENTIATION IN CULTURED MOUSE KERATINOCYTES

  • 1 January 1985
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 45  (5) , 2219-2225
Abstract
The induction by chemical carcinogens of resistance of terminal differentiation in cultured mouse keratinocytes was proposed to represent a cellular change associated with the initiation phase of skin carcinogenesis. Previous results with this culture model indicated that the number of differentiation-resistant foci was correlated with the dose and known potency for several chemical carcinogens. Assay conditions were optimized to provide quantitative results for screening a variety of carcinogens for their potency as inducers of foci resistant to terminal differentiation. Eight skin initators of varying potency, and from different chemical classes and UV light were studied for their activity to induce this alteration in cultured epidermal cells from newborn BALB/c mice. There was an excellent positive correlation for the potency of these agents as initiators in vivo and as inducers of altered differentiation in vitro. The induction of resistant foci was independent of the relative cytotoxic effects of each agent except where cytotoxicity was extensive and reduced the number of foci. The hypothesis that initiation of carcinogenesis in skin results in an alteration in the program of epidermal cell differentiation was supported. The results also suggest that the assay is useful for identifying relative potency classes (strong, moderate, weak) of initiating agents.