The induction of growth-altered cell populations (tumor-initiation sites) in rat tracheal implants exposed to benzo[a]pyrene and formaldehyde.

The effects of exposure to benzo[a]pyrene (BAP) and formaldehyde (HCHO), alone and combined, on the induction of carcinogenesis in rat tracheal implants was determined as the number of growth-altered cell populations (tumor-initiation sites, TIS) per trachea. While exposure twice-weekly for 4.5 months to 0.2% HCHO solution gave only a weak response (0.25 TIS/trachea), 2.37 TIS per trachea were detected after exposure to 20 micrograms BAP in the same regimen. The combination of BAP followed by HCHO had a greater response than either agent alone (7.83 TIS/trachea), while the reverse exposure gave 1.49 TIS per trachea, which was less than BAP alone. Thus, the induction of TIS by combined exposure to BAP and HCHO was dependent on the order of exposure, and could not be predicted from their individual exposures.