[Study of transformation of hamster embryo cells and its application to identification of environment carcinogen]

Cultural cells used were embryo cells collected from pregnant (12-14 days) golden hamster. 3,4B[a] P was used to induce transformation of the cells in vitro. 24 hours after the treatment, there appeared a random arrangement of the cells and loss of the contact inhibition and cell polarity. Some transformed foci were obtained on the 4th day with presence of atypical cells. Scanning electron microscopy showed presence of blebs, considerable ruffling particularly increase of small microvilli, and small projections on the surface of the transformed cells. Karyotypes of the cells showed decrease of diploid cells, but numbers of tetraploid, heteroploid as well as polyploid cells increased. Application of these criteria in identifying carcinogenesis of the industry dust from a zinc-product factory in the west area of Liaoning Province indicated that changes obtained in cells treated by this dust were similar to those obtained by using B[a]P alone. It is considered that carcinogenetic agents of lung cancer are present in the dust in the area.