Carcinogenicity testing in nude mouse cell cultures

Abstract

Secondary cultures of newborn NMRI nu/nu (nude) mouse skin fibroblasts were used as targets for transformation by the combined administration of SV40 and 3-methylcholanthrene (MC). The long (72 h) post-treatment with MC increased virus transformation as much as 4.3-fold. In contrast, anthracene, a non-carcinogenic compound, had no effect on viral transformation frequency. Despite considerable variation within a group, the cell lines transformed by the combination treatment, as a group, were more tumourigenic than cell loines transformed by SV40 alone.