Effect of urethane on Swiss mice lung tissue in organ culture and proliferation of epithelial cells 'in vitro'
Ranade, J.P.; Bapat, C.V.; Ranadive, K.J.
Indian Journal of Cancer 14(2): 136-140
1977
ISSN/ISBN: 0019-509X PMID: 914304 Document Number: 121519
Urethane, a soluble multipotent carcinogen when administered to C3H mice, induces lung adenomas in 75% of animals after 7 mo. It also induces leukemia in newborn Swiss mice and sarcomas in mice and hamsters. In Swiss mice, lung is the target organ for the action of urethane. To study this mechanism in vitro, lung tissue cultures were set up in an organ culture system and 10 mg/ml urethane was added per culture. After 24 h exposure, explants were typsinized and the cells were planted as monolayer in petri dishes, incubated at 37.degree. C in a 5% CO2 atmosphere. Discrete epithelial and fibroblast colonies developed which were counted and recorded as number and size. Urethane treated cultures showed 50% more epithelial cells than controls. This provides evidence that urethane promotes proliferation of epithelial cells and may be toxic to fibroblasts, also indicated by the higher mitotic index in epithelial cells in treated cultures than in controls.