Dermal Carcinogenicity in Transgenic Mice: Effect of Vehicle on Responsiveness of Hemizygous Tg.AC Mice to Phorbol 12-Myristate 13-Acetate (TPA)

The Tg.AC mouse is being evaluated for use in short-term carcinogenicity bioassays. Because the dermal test protocol necessitates dissolving test agents we determined the effects of several solvents on responsivenes s of hemizygous mice to dermal applications of the classical skin tumor promoter, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (TPA). Mice of both sexes received dermal applications of either acetone (negative control) or TPA in various vehicles [acetone, 100% methanol, 70% and 100% ethanol, DMSO and mixtures of acetone and ethanol (1:1), acetone and DMSO (4:1 and 1:1), and acetone and olive oil (4:1)]. Negative control animals did not exhibit papillomas. When administered in acetone, ethanolic or methanolic vehicles TPA caused prompt and robust papillomatous responses. TPA was also tumorigenic in all nonalcoholic vehicles, except the acetone-olive oil mixture. Papilloma responses were generally delayed when TPA was applied in the nonalcoholic solvents but the distinction between TPA-dosed and negative control groups was unequivocal. These results show that choice of vehicle may affect the quantitative and qualitative nature of the response of Tg.AC mice to TPA, but 8 of 9 vehicles proved satisfactory for delivery of TPA.