ESTABLISHED CELL LINE OF URINARY BLADDER CARCINOMA (KK-47): GROWTH, HETEROTRANSPLANTATION, MICROSCOPIC STRUCTURE AND CHROMOSOME PATTERN

The cell line was derived from a transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder in a 50-year-old male. This has been maintained for over 130 transfer generations. The cells transplanted subcutaneously into nude mice produced well-demarcated solid tumors in 3 of 5 nude mice 24 days after transplantation, and the tumors gradually increased in size. The cytological and histological characteristics of the cells in monolayer cultures and of the tumors developed in nude mice were studied light microscopy in relation to the features of bladder carcinoma. Morphologically the microscopic structure of the cells in the cultures and of the tumors developed resembled closely that of bladder carcinoma. Re-transplantation of the tumors developed was performed successfully in one of 2 nude mice, and the re-transplant developed into a very large tumor. After 102 days in re-transplantation, the nude mouse died of tumor, and autopsy revealed a large tumor bulging in the abdominal cavity and involving the right kidney and liver and some hematogenic pulmonary metastases. Chromosomal analysis of the cells at the 160th transfer-generation revealed the hyperdiploid number of chromosomes with the modal number of 59 and 2 marker chromosomes individualized by a centromere index of 20. 0 and of 28. 5. Using a replicate culture method, the doubling time of the cells was 23.5 hours.