In vitro measurement of resistance to phalloidin and gamma-glutamyltransferase of carcinogen-induced preneoplastic hepatocytes of rats.

Male inbred F344 rats weighing about 150 g were fed continuously a diet containing 0.02% N-2-fluorenylacetamide for 14-15 weeks. The presumptively preneoplastic hepatocytes were transferred to an in vitro system after dispersion by a collagenase-perfusion technique. Sensitivity to phalloidin in terms of formation of cytoplasmic blebs on the cell surface was less in the presumptively preneoplastic hepatocytes than in normal hepatocytes. Among the presumptively preneoplastic hepatocytes, the gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT)-positive cells were less sensitive to phalloidin than GGT-negative cells, indicating a greater contribution to the decrease in the sensitivity to phalloidin of the presumptively preneoplastic cells.