This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Fradkin, A. Articles by Kuschner, M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Fradkin, A. Articles by Kuschner, M.

In Vitro Transformation of BHK21 Cells Grown in the Presence of Calcium Chromate¹

The Department of Pathology, Health Sciences Center, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York 11790 [A. F., A. J., B. L., M. K.], and The Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York 10016 [M. K.]

Concentrations of 0.25 and 0.5 µg/ml calcium chromate (CaCrO₄·2H₂O) dissolved in Dulbecco's medium were found to alter the growth behavior of BHK21 cells in culture. Treated cells grew as shortened fibroblasts and in random orientation. The changes detected during the first two weeks of culture in the presence of the metal became more pronounced as the number of growth passages increased. In addition to the alterations noted above, chromate-treated cells grew into large clusters in Methocel (an alternative technique to the agar suspension system), while untreated cells underwent, at most, only one or two divisions in Methocel. These alterations in growth properties were irreversible and persisted after removal of the treated cells from chromate-containing medium, suggesting that a heritable change had occurred as opposed to a transient, chromate-dependent alteration of cell growth. This experimental observation suggests that chromate salts and perhaps salts of other metals can transform BHK21 cells in vitro or can select for spontaneously transformed cells.

¹ This work was supported in part by Center Grant ES 00260 of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Contracts 1-CP-3-3260 and 1-CP-33361 of the National Cancer Institute, and Grant HL-14262 of the National Heart and Lung Institute.

Received 3/25/74. Accepted 1/10/75.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				H. Xie, A. L. Holmes, S. S. Wise, S. Huang, C. Peng, and J. P. Wise Sr. Neoplastic Transformation of Human Bronchial Cells by Lead Chromate Particles Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol., November 1, 2007; 37(5): 544 - 552. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]