Establishment and characterization of three new rat renal cell carcinoma cell lines from N-ethyl-N-hydroxyethylnitrosamine-induced basophilic cell tumors

Three new rat cell lines (designated as BP13, BP30 and BP36B), derived from rat basophilic-type renal cell carcinomas induced with N-ethyl-N-hydroxyet hylnitrosamine, were established and characterized. Passaged up to 100 time s in vitro for 3 years, each cell line forms epithelial monolayers with cel l cycles for BP13, BP30 and BP36B of 29, 21 and 17 h, respectively. Positiv e glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) and gamma -glutamyltransferase ( gamma -GT) activity in their cytoplasm, but negative succinate dehydrogenas e (SD) and slightly positive carbonic anhydrase type II (CA) localization i ndicates an origin from proximal tubules. Ultrastructural examination showe d the presence of variable numbers of mitochondria and many microvilli and intracellular junctions on the plasma membrane. BP13 and BP30 were found to be tetraploid and BP36B diploid. BP13 has one marker chromosome 15p+, and BP36B an isochromosome of 1q. Anchorage-independent growth and tumorigenici ty in immunosuppressed nude mice of BP13 and BP36B, but not BP30, proved th eir neoplastic nature. These three cell lines should provide useful tools f or studying the biological characteristics of renal cell tumors.