Benzo[a]pyrene- and aldrin-metabolizing activities in cultured human and rat hepatoma cell lines

Five established hepatoma cell lines, 1 of rat origin and 4 derived from human liver carcinoma, were compared for their capacity to perform metabolic activation of one polycyclic hydrocarbon, benzo[a]pyrene (BP), and one cyclodiene chlorinated insecticide, aldrin. The results of these investigations indicated both species and individual differences among these cell lines. Aldrin was found to be converted into dieldrin much more efficiently by the rat hepatoma cell line than by any human cell lines, whereas 2 human lines displayed the highest BP-metabolizing activity whether measured as the amounts of water-soluble products or estimated by cytotoxic cell-mediated assays. Results also showed that one particular human cell line can replace, advantageously, V79 hamster cells as target in a cell-mediated assay owing to its incapability to metabolize BP and its high sensitivity to BP metabolites.