DIFFERENTIAL CHEMICAL CARCINOGENESIS IN 3 DISTINCT MELANOCYTE SYSTEMS OF SYRAIN ( GOLDEN ) HAMSTERS

[摘要] It is evident that there are 3 different melanocyte systems in normal Syrian (golden) hamster skin. Observations suggest that in the Syrian (golden) hamster, DMBA(7, 12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene) application selectively produces neoplastic growth in potentially functional amelonotic dermal melanocytes (System II) but not in dyfunctional amelanotic melanocytes of the junctional layer (System III). This differential response of hamster melanocytes to chemical carcinogenesis may not be generalized, as in guinea pigs, to other speices. The possiblity that functional melanotic melanocytes (System I) may be converted into perifollicular melanocytes which in turn produce neoplastic growth when stimulated by DMBA cannot be excluded. The possibility that some portion of induced blue nevi originates from preexisting pigmented perifollicular melanocyte networks in the random pigment spots of Ghadially and Barker. The selective response of the 3 biologically different melanocyte systems in the Syrian (golden) hamster may provide direct access to the mechanism of experimental carcinogenesis in relation to the enzymatic and molecular activity of the pigment cell.