Cell surface antigenic changes induced in normal adult rat liver cells by carcinogen treatment in vitro.

Normal rat liver cell lines treated with the chemical carcinogen N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) elicited antibody production (detected by membrane immunofluorescence test in vitro) when injected into a highly inbred strain of rats from which the liver cells were originally isolated. In contrast, the control cells which were untreated did not evoke humoral antibodies. Antisera raised against the MNU-treated cells reacted not only with the immunizing cells, but also with 3'-methyl-4-dimethyl aminoazobenzene and 3-methylcholanthrene-treated cells. However, this antiserum failed to react with cells treated with either aflatoxin or N-acetoxy-2-acetyl-aminofluorene. Embryonic antigens were found to be absent from the normal adult liver cell line. Preliminary results indicated that none could be detected on carcinogen-treated cells either.