Attempts to induce tubular deformations and subsequent mixed tumours from organotypic cultures of mouse renal mesenchyma.

With the aim of expanding knowledge on the pathogenesis of nephroblastomata, an embryological organ culture system (Grobstein, 1956) was tested for its applicability to in vitro carcinogenesis experiments by using murine sarcoma virus (MSV-M) and 3-methylcholanthrene (MCA). Treatment of CBA/H-T6 mouse metanephrogenic mesenchyma with MSV-M at the pretubular stage neither disturbed the glomerulogenesis nor induced rapid malignant transformation. Treatment of the same tissues with MCA considerably inhibited the glomerulogenesis but failed to also reduce rapid malignant transformation. However, one MSV-M, one MCA and two untreated cultures showed malignant transformation after prolonged survival in vitro and produced different histological types of tumours upon transplantation into newborn CBA/H-T6 mice.