Ki-ras activation in lung cells isolated from AC3F1 (A/J x C3H/HeJ) mice after treatment with aflatoxin B1.

Lung cells isolated from AC3F1 (A/J x C3H/HeJ) mice 7 wk after treatment with the carcinogenic mycotoxin aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) were examined for point mutations in the Ki-ras oncogene. Ki-ras mutant allele frequencies in fractions enriched with nonciliated bronchiolar epithelial (Clara) cells were consistently higher than in alveolar type II cell fractions. Mutant alleles were undetectable or minimal in macrophage- and polymorphonuclear leukocyte-enriched fractions. In cells from vehicle (dimethyl sulfoxide)-treated mice, small proportions of mutant Ki-ras alleles were found in the Clara cell-enriched fraction but not in other cell fractions. The results indicated that Clara cells are particularly susceptible to AFB1-induced Ki-ras mutation, an early event in AFB1-induced mouse lung tumorigenesis.