Effect of Various Polybrominated Biphenyls on Cell-Cell Communication in Cultured Human Teratocarcinoma Cells

Effect of Various Polybrominated Biphenyls on Cell–CellCommunication in Cultured Human Teratocarcinoma Cells. KAVANAGH,T. J., CHANG, C.-C, and TROSKO, J. E. (1987). Fundam. Appl.Toxicol. 8, 127–131. Firemaster BP-6 (FM), a mixture ofpolybrominated biphenyls (PBB), and the congeners 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexabromobiphenyl(245-HBB), 3,3',4,4',5,5'-hexabro-mobiphenyl (345-HBB), and3,3',4,4'-tetrabromobiphenyl (34-TBB) were tested for theirability to inhibit cell-cell communication between human teratocarcinomacells in culture. Both FM and 245-HBB were capable of inhibitingcell-cell communication in these cells, with only slight effectson cell survival. 345-HBB was highly cytotoxic, but did notshow the ability to interrupt cell-cell communication. 34-TBBwas moderately cytotoxic and was also ineffective at blockingcell-cell communication. The results agree with previously publishedfindings in Chinese hamster V79 cells, and are in accordancewith proposed structure–activity relationships for thesecompounds. Inhibition of cell–cell communication, eitherdirectly (FM and 245-HBB) or indirectly through necrosis-inducedcompensatory hyperplasia (345-HBB), may be involved in the promotionof hepatocellular neoplasms by these compounds.