Establishment of epithelial cell lines following exposure of cultured tracheal epithelium to 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate.

In vitro exposure of rat tracheal epithelium to the tumor-promoting agent 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate results in a marked increase in growth capacity. The growth changes are manifested in an increased rate of cell division and growth in primary cultures and in the establishment of permanent epithelial cell lines. Such changes did not occur in control cultures. Fourteen of the cell lines have been inoculated into immunosuppressed recipients, and all are nontumorigenic.