METABOLISM OF TRITIUM-LABELED 12-O-TETRADECANOYLPHORBOL-13-ACETATE BY CELLS IN CULTURE

Abstract

The metabolism of the carcinogen [20-3H]-12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate. ([3H]TPA) was studied in human and hamster cell cultures. Within 2-3 days after its addition to growing or confluent cultures of hamster embryo fibroblasts, no unchanged [3H]TPA remained in the medium as determined by TLC of the chloroform phase obtained by extraction of the medium with chloroform:methanol:H2O. Little or no metabolism of [3H]TPA occurred under identical conditions in cultures of human fibroblasts. The major metabolite formed from [3H]TPA in hamster cell cultures was [3H]phorbol-13-acetate. With hamster and human cells, virtually all cell-associated radioactivity was unchanged [3H]TPA.