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Characterization of a new rat cell line established from 2′AAF-induced combined hepatocellular cholangiocellular carcinoma

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Summary

A rat cell line-nominated CC-62 derived from a combined hepatocellular and cholangiocellular carcinoma obtained by administration of 2-acetylaminofluorene to male Wistar rats, has been established. Using light and electron microscopy it was determined that morphologically the tumor consisted of a mixed population of hepatocytes and cholangiolar neoplastic cells, intermingled with small, undifferentiated oval-like cells. The CC-62 line has been maintained through 90 passages in culture adopting a paving stone arrangement. Doubling time at the 12th passage was 23 h. Immunostaining with a panel of antisera was performed to identify the cytological profiles of the cell line. There was no k-ras or p53 expression by immunohistochemistry, and molecular biology failed to detect mutations. Molecular analysis by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction revealed transcripts for c-met but no expression of HGF messenger ribonucleic acid. Three cell lines cloned from CC-62 showed the same immunohistochemical and molecular pattern as the parental line. Cytogenetic analysis revealed a chromosome number ranging from 74 to 82 with a modal number of 79 but no clonal structural abnormalities were found. Deoxyribonucleic acid ploidy analysis showed an aneuploid peak. CC-62 caused tumors 1 mo after subcutaneous transplantation into nude mice, with morphological patterns of mucosecretory solid and spindle-shaped carcinoma. This cell line is the first established from a primary rat combined hepatocellular and cholangiocellular neoplasm. The resulting cells expressed biological and morphological markers of hepatocytes and cholangiolar cells. Therefore this cell line may contribute to a better understanding of the histogenesis of liver cancer.

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Correspondence to Antonio Llombart-Bosch.

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Gil-Benso, R., Martinez-Lorente, A., Pellin-Perez, A. et al. Characterization of a new rat cell line established from 2′AAF-induced combined hepatocellular cholangiocellular carcinoma. In Vitro Cell.Dev.Biol.-Animal 37, 17–25 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1290/1071-2690(2001)037<0017:COANRC>2.0.CO;2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1290/1071-2690(2001)037<0017:COANRC>2.0.CO;2

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