ESTABLISHMENT AND CHARACTERIZATION OF CELL-LINES (KAGURA-1 AND KAGURA-2) FROM AFLATOXIN-B1-INDUCED RAT HEPATOMA

Two hepatoma cell lines designated Kagura-1 and Kagura-2 were established from rat hepatocellular carcinomas induced by aflatoxin B1, and have been propagated for over two years. Both cell lines grew as monolayered sheets with a population doubling time of about 20 h. Chromosome counts of Kagura-1 cells ranged from 34 to 45 with a modal number of 40, while that of Kagura-2 cells ranged widely from 40 to 130 with a modal number of 65. Subcutaneous inoculation of cultured cells of both these lines into nude mice resulted in tumor formation. The histopathological appearances of the induced tumors were similar to those of the original tumors. Kagura-1 and Kagura-2 cell lines express at least two tumor markers, glutathione-S-transferase P and y-glutamyl transpeptidase; the level of c-myc messenger ribonucleic acid was also highly elevated. © 1990, The Pharmaceutical Society of Japan. All rights reserved.