Sensitivity of normal and transformed rat liver epithelial cells to benzo[a]pyrene toxicity

A strain of rat liver epithelial cells (LP), a clone of LP (C3) and a series of transformed lines derived from these cell strains, were examined for their sensitivity to the toxic effects of benzo[a]pyrene (BP). Both LP and C3 were sensitive to BP and within the series of transformed cell lines, sensitivity to BP was positively related to the extent of differentiation of the tumours each line formed in vivo. All the cell types were able to take up BP and there appeared to be a relationship between the sensitivity of a given cell type to BP, and the amount of BP it metabolised. The binding of BP to the DNA was low in all the cell types examined.