Transplacental effect of N-diethylnitrosamine on chromosomal aberrations in fetal tracheal cells of the Syrian hamster: comparison between epithelial and mesenchymal cells

Abstract

Chromosomal aberrations were investigated in tracheal cells of fetal Syrian hamsters after transplacental administration of N-diethylnitrosamine (DEN). On the 15th day of pregnancy, Syrian hamsters were injected s.c. with a tumorigenic dose of DEN (50,100 and 200 mg/kg body weight). Two hours later, the fetal tracheae were isolated, the epithelial tissue was separated from the mesenchymal tissue by collagenasetreatment, and then each cell population was transferred to cell culture after Dispase treatment. At 24, 48 and 72 h after the cell cultivation, chromosomal damage was examined. The results clearly showed that a high incidence of chromosomal aberrations, especially chromatid-type exchanges, was seen in the epithelial cells of DEN-treated groups. However, significant induction of chromosomal aberrations was not observed in the mesenchymal cells from DEN-treated groups.