Establishment and characterization of a chicken hepatocellular carcinoma cell line, LMH.

A hepatocellular carcinoma cell line, LMH, has been established from a hepatocellular carcinoma induced in a male leghorn chicken by diethylnitrosamine. The cell line is characterized by well-differentiated morphological and biochemical features including the expression of glucose-6-phosphatase and canalicular ATPase activities and triploid karyotype with six marker chromosomes. The cells have been continuously propagated in culture for 5 yr and are now at about the 120th passage. Morphological change occurred in culture associated with gradual increase in growth rate at about the 40th passage. However, the biochemical and chromosomal features remained constant. This is the first established domestic fowl epithelial cell line and will allow comparative investigation of a number of parameters relevant to chicken hepatocarcinogenesis.