Establishment and characterization of two cell lines derived from human transitional cell carcinoma

Two continuous cell lines derived from the neoplastic urothelium had been maintained in culture for more than two years. The first cell line derived from the urothelium of a fusion papillocarcinoma on the left lateral wall of the bladder was designated as TBC-1 and grown in vitro for more than 150 generations. The second cell line derived from the urothelium of a papillocarcinoma in the left renal pelvis was designated as TPC-1 and grown in vitro for more than 100 generations. Characterization studies made on both cell lines showed that the cells had a rapid doubling time, exhibited multilayering and produced tumors in sc of BALB/c. Tumor nodules that produced sc of BALB/c kept similar cellular and pathological features to those of the primary biopsy specimens under light and electron microscopes. TPC-1 cell line exhibited a three-dimensional structure of transitional epithelium on the nylon-mesh disk which was coated with a layer of rat tail collagen. Both TBC-1 and TPC-1 cell lines formed colonies in soft agar. Their forming rates were 35% and 28%, respectively. The chromosome number of TBC-1 cells ranged from 17 to 84, with a modal number of 54; whereas that of TPC-1 cells ranged from 28 to 139, with a modal number of 49. The TBC-1 cells showed mutant p53 and ras p21 protein expression and expressed weakly ABH blood group isoantigens. Analysis of lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) isozymes showed the highest levels of LDH isozyme 4 sonicated cell lysates of TBC-1 and TPC-1 respectively.