Inhibition of intercellular communication in Chinese hamster V79 cells by fractionated asphalt fume condensates

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Abstract
Asphalt fume condensate is a skin carcinogen in mice, yet this complex mixture contains relatively low levels of known carcinogenic initiators. Consequently, its biological activity has been attributed to the presence of cocarcinogenic or tumor‐promoting agents. One of several proposed mechanisms of tumor promotion is inhibition of intercellular communication. In an attempt to determine if asphalt fume has tumor‐promoting potential inhibition of intercellular communication was measured in V79 cells exposed to fractionated asphalt fume condensate. Fume from air‐blown Arabian crude asphalt was trapped and separated into five fractions by preparative‐scale high‐pressure liquid chromatography. The parent fume condensate and the five fractions inhibited intercellular communication in a concentration‐dependent fashion, with a minimum effective concentration of 2.5 μg/ml for the most potent fraction. Cytotoxicity assays were performed at the same time and concentrations as the metabolic cooperation assays. Cytotoxic responses paralleled the inhibition of intercellular communication.