Cytotoxicity and chromosome aberrations in normal human oral keratinocytes induced by chemical carcinogens: Comparison of inter-individual variations.

Normal human keratinocytes from the oral cavity were cultured in vitro in serum-free medium. Cultures from different individuals were established, and the responses of the cells to different chemicals were compared. The cells, grown at clonal densities, were treated separately with an alkylating agent (N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine; MNNG), two arsenical salts (sodium arsenate or sodium arsenite), sodium fluoride or two polyaromatic hydrocarbons (benzo[a]pyrene or 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]-anthracene). There were no significant differences in the colony-forming efficiencies (22.8 +/- 4.2%) of control (untreated) cells from five different individuals. At selected doses, each of the chemicals reduced the colony-forming efficiencies of the treated cells. The cytotoxicity of most of the chemicals did not differ significantly among cells derived from different individuals, with the exception of sodium arsenate at two doses and sodium fluoride at the highest dose tested. Induction of chromosome aberrations by MNNG, sodium arsenite, sodium arsenate and sodium flouride was analysed with cells derived from up to nine individuals. There was little difference in the inducibilities of chromosome aberrations among cultured keratinocytes from different donors. Treatment of cells from nine donors with one dose of sodium fluoride revealed a statistically significant inter-individual variation. These findings provide a model system to study the effects of carcinogens on the target cells for oral cancers. The results can be compared with findings for cells from other epithelial tissues, since the culture conditions support the growth of keratinocytes regardless of origin. Little inter-individual variation was observed in the response of oral keratinocytes to the chemicals examined.