Correlation of changes in natural killer cell activity and glutathione S-transferase placental form positive hepatocytes in diethylnitrosamine-induced rat hepatocarcinogenesis.

To evaluate the induction of preneoplastic hepatic foci in relation to natural killer cell (NK) activity, we sequentially analyzed glutathione S-transferase placental form positive (GST-P+) hepatocytes and NK activity during diethylnitrosamine (DEN) and phenobarbital (PB)-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in Sprague-Dawley rats. Previous studies have shown that NK activity can modulate the carcinogenic process induced by chemical carcinogens. Newborn females were initially given a single intraperitoneal injection of 15 mg DEN/kg and three weeks later, they were treated with 500 ppm phenobarbital (PB). From week 3, PB was administered in drinking water for 9 weeks. Interim and terminal sacrifices were performed at weeks 12, 15 and 30. GST-P+ hepatocytes increased with age in DEN-treated rats, especially in the population of more than two GST-P+ hepatocytes. The NK activity of DEN-treated rats did not significantly differ from that of control rats until week 12, but it progressively decreased from week 15 to 30. These results indicate that changes of NK activity inversely correlated with the induction of preneoplastic hepatic foci. This strong correlation of decreased NK activity with enhanced induction of GST-P+ foci suggests that NK activity is important in the early progression of hepatocarcinogenesis in rats.     

Diuron lacks promoting potential in a rat liver bioassay

The promoting activity of the herbicide Diuron was evaluated in a medium-term rat liver carcinogenesis bioassay that uses as endpoint immunohistochemically identified glutathione S-transferase positive (GST-P+) foci. Male Wistar rats were allocated to the following groups: G1 to G6 were initiated for liver carcinogenesis by a single dose of diethylnitrosamine (DEN, 200 mg/kg) while groups G7 and G8 received only 0.9% NaCl (DEN vehicle). From the 2nd week animals were fed a basal diet (G1 and G7) or a diet added with Diuron at 125, 500, 1250, 2500 and 2500 ppm (G2 to G5 and G8, respectively) or 200 ppm Hexaclorobenzene (HCB; G6). The animals were submitted to 70% partial hepatectomy at the 3rd week and sacrificed at the 8th week. The herbicide did not alter ALT or creatinine serum levels. No conspicuous GST-P+ foci development was registered in non-initiated rats fed Diuron at 2500 ppm. While DEN-initiated animals fed Diuron at 1250 or 2500 ppm developed mild centrilobular hypertrophy, DEN-initiated HCB-fed animals showed severe liver centrilobular hypertrophy and significant GST-P+ foci development. These findings indicate that the medium-term assay adopted in this study does not reveal any liver carcinogenesis initiating or promoting potential of Diuron in the rat.     

TNF-α在中子及γ线照射小鼠肠组织中的表达

目的:比较小鼠经中子及γ线照射后,肠组织中TNF-α的表达及其意义。方法:350只二级雄性BALB/c小鼠,经不同剂量的中子和γ线照射,于照后6、12h,1、2、3、4、5、7、10、14、21、28d分批活杀,采用免疫组化染色等技术观察TNF-α在肠组织中的变化。结果:在正常肠黏膜中,TNF-α主要见于肠绒毛间质、黏膜下及淋巴组织中巨噬细胞浆内;2.5Gy中子照后2d内,上述阳性部位TNF-α的表达进行性减少;3~7d其在巨噬细胞及隐窝细胞浆内的表达明显增加,5d达高峰,14d恢复至正常水平。4.0、5.5Gy中子及12Gyγ线照射后4d内,TNF-α的表达进行性减少;γ线5.5Gy照后6~12h,TNF-α的表达增多,照后1d减少,2~5d增加,3d达高峰,10d恢复至正常水平。TNF-α的表达在肠黏膜损伤时减少,于损伤后恢复的早期增多。结论:中子和γ线照后,肠内源性TNF-α表达具有不同的变化规律,并参与了肠放射损伤及修复的病理生理过程。     

The enhancing effect of ethanol on the development of glutatione S-transferase placental form-positive foci induced by diethylnitrosamine in F344 rat

The effects of ethyl alcohol and pig serum administration on the development of preneoplastic hepatic enzyme-altered foci were examined in an in vivo mid-term assay system. Rats were initially given a single dose (200 mg/Kg) intraperitoneal injection of diethylnitrosamine (DEN). Two weeks later, treatment was started with 10% ethanol + 10% sucrose solution, 10% sucrose solution, or tap water as drinking water for 6 weeks with or without intraperitoneal injection of porcine serum twice a week. All rats were subjected to a two-thirds partial hepatectomy at week 3. The modification potentials were evaluated by comparing the number and area per cm2 of glutathione S-transferase placental form-positive (GST-P+) foci in the liver of each group. As a result, ethanol significantly enhanced the development of GST-P+ foci. Unfortunately, the porcine serum injection produced no hepatic fibrosis and no significant alteration in GST-P+ foci.     

γH2AX formation kinetics in PBMCs of rabbits exposed to acute and fractionated radiation and attenuation of focus frequency through preadministration of a combination of podophyllotoxin and rutin hydrate

DNA damage can be assessed by the quantitation of γH2AX foci that form at DSB sites. This study examines the generation and persistence of γH2AX foci, variability in foci size after acute and fractionated radiation exposure, and the effect of pretreatment with a safe radioprotective formulation termed G‐003M on foci generation and persistence. G‐003M contains a combination of podophyllotoxin and rutin hydrate, and was administered intramuscularly to rabbits 1 hr prior to Co⁶⁰ gamma irradiation. Rabbits were assigned to one of the following treatment groups: untreated, G‐003M alone, irradiated (single dose 8 Gy, fractionated 2 Gy/day for 4 days or single dose 2 Gy) or G‐003M preadministration followed by radiation exposure. Foci continuously persisted for a week in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of rabbits exposed to a single 8 Gy dose. However, the number of foci gradually decreased after reaching a maximum at 1 h. In rabbits exposed to fractionated radiation, foci detected 1 hr after the final exposure were significantly larger (P < 0.001) than in rabbits exposed to a single 8 Gy dose, but disappeared completely after 24 h. In both groups, foci reappeared on days 11‐15 in terminally ill animals. G‐003M pretreatment significantly (P < 0.05) attenuated the formation of γH2AX foci in all irradiated rabbits. This study reveals that γH2AX focus assessment could be used to confirm radiation exposure, that focus size reflects the type of radiation exposure (acute or fractionated), that the re‐appearance of foci is a strong indicator of imminent death in animals, and that G‐003M provides protection against radiation. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 57:455–468, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Value of GST-P positive preneoplastic hepatic foci in dose-response studies of hepatocarcinogenesis: evidence for practical thresholds with both genotoxic and nongenotoxic carcinogens. A review of recent work

Recent low-dose carcinogenesis studies, including major group projects are reviewed. The prevailing paradigm is that carcinogens, particularly genotoxic compounds, have no threshold in exerting their potential for cancer induction. However, the nonthreshold hypothesis can be challenged for cancer risk assessment in humans. A recent very large-scale cooperative effort in Japan furthermore showed that the genotoxic hepatocarcinogen, 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline, forms DNA adducts and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine at low doses, but does not induce glutathione S-transferase placental form (GST-P) positive foci as preneoplastic lesions in rat liver (< or = 10 ppm in diet). Moreover, very low doses of a N-nitroso compound. diethylnitrosamine (DEN), were also found not to significantly induce GST-P positive foci in rat liver (< or = 0.01 ppm in drinking water). Given the direct correlation between induction of the preneoplastic lesions in the short-term and carcinomas in the longer term with different carcinogens, the results imply a practical nonobserved effect level for hepatocarcinogenicity. Similar results were also observed with so-called nongenotoxic carcinogens such as phenobarbital (PB) and p,p-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), which do not exert positive effects on lesion development at very low doses. Furthermore, experiments with application of PB and DDT after treatment with DEN indicate that at very low doses (< or = 2 ppm in diet), they may even inhibit the development of GST-P positive foci. The data reviewed provide evidence that preneoplastic foci in the liver can be employed as end-point lesions in place of tumors and that exposure to very low levels of carcinogens, typical of those found in the human environment, does not necessarily present as a risk factor.     

IL-2对辐射损伤后小肠上皮细胞生长影响的实验研究

目的: 观察电离辐射对体外培养的IEC -6细胞株生长的影响及IL- 2对其损伤后增殖和恢复的作用, 并进一步探讨肠黏膜免疫与肠上皮辐射损伤及修复的关系。方法: 用 4、8、12Gy的γ射线照射IEC- 6细胞株, 并于照后 3、6、9、12h及 1、2、3d, 用MTT比色法、光镜、电镜、DNA凝胶电泳和流式细胞术等, 检测受照射后IEC- 6细胞的增殖活力、形态和死亡方式的改变; 用不同浓度IL 2 ( 25×103、5×104、1×105U/L)处理 8Gyγ射线照射的IEC 6细胞, 并于照射后 3、6、9、12、24h, 采用MTT比色法检测其增殖活力的变化。结果: 在 0~12Gy的范围内, IEC 6细胞的增殖活力随γ射线照射剂量的增加而降低。8. 0γ射线照后 24h, 凋亡的IEC- 6细胞明显增多, DNA凝胶电泳显示有梯状带形成。IL- 2可促进照射后的IEC- 6细胞增殖且呈一定的剂量 效应关系, 尤以1×105U/L组的作用更明显。结论: 在一定剂量范围内, γ射线照射可降低IEC 6细胞增殖活力, 且存在剂量 效应关系;可导致IEC 6细胞发生凋亡。IL- 2可促进受照射的IEC- 6细胞增殖, 增强其抗辐射的作用。     

Tomato oleoresin inhibits DNA damage but not diethylnitrosamine-induced rat hepatocarcinogenesis

Various studies have shown that lycopene, a non-provitamin A carotenoid, exerts antioxidant, antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic activities in different in vitro and in vivo systems. However, the results concerning its chemopreventive potential on rat hepatocarcinogenesis are ambiguous. The aim of the present study was to investigate the antigenotoxic and anticarcinogenic effects of dietary tomato oleoresin adjusted to lycopene concentration at 30, 100 or 300 ppm (administered 2 weeks before and during or 8 weeks after carcinogen exposure) on liver of male Wistar rats treated with a single intraperitoneal dose of 20 or 100mg/kg of diethylnitrosamine (DEN), respectively. The level of DNA damage in liver cells and the development of putative preneoplastic single hepatocytes, minifoci and foci of altered hepatocytes (FHA) positive for glutathione S-transferase (GST-P) were used as endpoints. Significant reduction of DNA damage was detected when the highest lycopene concentration was administered before and during the DEN exposure (20mg/kg). However, the results also showed that lycopene consumption did not reduce cell proliferation in normal hepatocytes or the growth of initiated hepatocytes into minifoci positive for GST-P during early regenerative response after 70% partial hepatectomy, or the number and area of GST-P positive FHA induced by DEN (100mg/kg) at the end of week 10. Taken together, the data suggest a chemopreventive effect of tomato oleoresin against DNA damage induced by DEN but no clear effectiveness in initiating or promoting phases of rat hepatocarcinogenesis.     

Effects of fasting and intermittent fasting on rat hepatocarcinogenesis induced by diethylnitrosamine

The influences of fasting on DEN-initiation and of intermittent fasting (IF) on the rat liver chemical carcinogenesis process were evaluated in a 52-week long assay. Three groups of adult male Wistar rats were used: Groups 1 to 3 were treated with a single i.p. injection of 200 mg/kg of diethylnitrosamine (DEN). Group 2 was submitted to 48 h fasting prior to DEN treatment. After the 4th week, Group 3 was submitted to IF, established as 48 h weekly fasting during 48 weeks, while Groups 1 and 2 were fed ad libitum until the 52nd week. All animals were submitted to 70% partial hepatectomy and sacrificed at the 3rd and 52nd weeks, respectively. Fasting prior to DEN-initiation did not influence the development of altered foci of hepatocytes (AFHs) and of hepatic nodules (Group 2 vs. Group G1). IF inhibited the development of preneoplastic lesions, since this dietary regimen decreased the number and the size of glutathione S-transferase (GST-P) positive foci and the number and size of liver nodules (Group G3 vs. Group G1). The inhibitory effect of IF was also reflected in the development of clear and basophilic cell foci. These results indicate that long-term IF regimen exerts an anti-promoting effect on rat hepatocarcinogenesis induced by DEN.     

A histological study of the promotive effect of diethylstilbestrol on diethylnitrosamine initiated carcinogenesis of liver in rat

A single dose (80 mg/kg) of diethylnitrosamine (DEN) was given orally to castrated female Wistar rats. One week after that one half of the animals were treated with diethylstilbestrol (DES) 3 mg/kg/once a week subcutaneously. The other half of the animals received no any hormone or hormone derivatives. The change of the liver cells in animals treated with DEN alone failed to progress beyond the stage of hepatocellular alterations in foci or neoplastic nodules within 8 months, while most of those animals which received DES treatment after DEN initiation developed hepatocellular carcinomas after 6 months. This result denotes that the DES exerts a definite promotive effect on DEN initiated liver cell carcinogenesis.     

Transgenic disruption of gap junctional intercellular communication enhances early but not late stage hepatocarcinogenesis in the rat

Much experimental evidence supports the conclusion that loss of gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) contributes to carcinogenesis. Transgenic rats featuring a dominant negative mutant of the connexin 32 gene under albumin promoter control (Cx32Delta Tg-High and Cx32Delta Tg-Low lines, respectively with high and low copy numbers of the transgene) have disrupted GJIC, as demonstrated by scrape dye-transfer assay in vivo as previous report by Asamoto et al. (2004). In the present study, we investigated the susceptibility of these transgenic rats to a single intraperitoneal administration of diethylnitrosamine (DEN), and found a significant increase in preneoplastic glutathione S-transferase placental form (GST-P) positive lesions in the livers of Cx32Delta Tg-High but not Cx32Delta Tg-Low rats. However, incidences of adenomas and hepatocellular carcinomas were not elevated at the end of the experiment (52 weeks). In addition, we investigated the promotional effect of phenobarbital (PB) on Cx32Delta Tg-High rats pretreated with DEN and found enhanced formation of GST-P positive lesions, in contrast to the lack of promoting effects reported for Cx32 deficient mice. The results indicate that although both high and low expression of the dominant negative connexin 32 mutant gene in our rats is able to inhibit gap junctional capacity, only high expression is effective at enhancing susceptibility to early stage DEN-induced liver carcinogenesis.     

Sequential appearance of T-cell receptor gamma delta- and alpha beta-bearing intestinal intra-epithelial lymphocytes in mice after irradiation.

We have previously reported that T-cell receptor (TcR) gamma delta-bearing T cells precede TcR alpha beta-bearing T cells in appearance in the thymus after whole-body irradiation. In the present study, the kinetics of appearance of intestinal intra-epithelial lymphocytes (IEL) was examined in mice after whole-body irradiation with a lethal dose of 9.5 Gy or with a sublethal dose of 6 Gy. The number of CD3+ IEL decreased to the lowest value 4 days after irradiation with 9.5 Gy, and thereafter increased to half as many as the normal level by day 7. Thy-1+TcR alpha beta- IEL and Thy-TcR alpha beta- IEL recovered considerably by day 7 after the irradiation, whereas Thy-1+TcR alpha beta+ IEL and Thy-1+TcR alpha beta+ IEL hardly recovered at this stage. All mice died within 12 days after irradiation with a lethal dose of 9.5 Gy. On the other hand, when irradiation dose was decreased to 6 Gy, all mice survived beyond 40 days after irradiation. The number of CD3+ IEL recovered to the normal level by 10 days after irradiation with 6 Gy. Consistently with the results in mice irradiated with a lethal dose, the first cells to increase in IEL of mice irradiated with a sublethal dose were TcR gamma delta+ IEL expressing Thy-1 antigen. The number of Thy-1+TcR gamma delta+ IEL increased to approximately two-fold as many as that in normal mice by day 10, while TcR alpha beta+ IEL began to increase in number from day 20 after irradiation and recovered to the normal level by day 40 after irradiation. Thus, sequential appearance of TcR gamma delta+ and TcR alpha beta+ IEL was evident after irradiation, similar to that seen in the thymus after irradiation. The IEL on day 10 after a sublethal irradiation, which is composed mainly of Thy-1+TcR gamma delta+ IEL, exhibited a strong cytolytic activity against P815 in the presence of anti-CD3 mAb, suggesting that the early appearing Thy-1+TcR gamma delta+ IEL may play important roles in epithelial immunity at an early stage after irradiation.     

铜,锰对二乙基亚硝胺诱发大鼠肿瘤的影响

本文报告了微量元素铜、锰对二乙基亚硝胺(DEN)诱发大鼠肿瘤作用的影响。实验结果表明:铜、标对DEN的致肝肿瘤效应有抑制作用。两者合用时,抑制作用更为明显(P<0.05);但在肺脏,铜、锰分别或共同与DEN作用,可诱发大鼠肺癌,且合用组的肺癌发生率更高(P<0.01)。本实验结果提示:铜、锰对DEN诱发肿瘤效应确有影响。     

Hepatocarcinogenic activity of N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine in rats is not modified by sodium L-ascorbate

Male F344 and Wistar Shionogi (WS) rats were treated with 0.05% N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine (BBN) for 20 weeks and then killed at week 36 (experiment 1). Although reduction of body weight increase was found, no effects on liver weights were noted. Formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded liver tissues from rats killed terminally were cut and stained for glutathione S-transferase placental form (GST-P) immunohistochemically. Marked elevation of quantitative values of small GST-P positive (GST-P+) foci were apparent in both strains of rat administered BBN. In experiment 2, both sexes of F344 rats were given 0.05% BBN in the drinking water for 4 weeks and then fed diet containing 0 or 5.0% sodium L-ascorbate (SA) for 32 weeks. No body and liver weight changes were evident in any group. Quantitative values for small GST-P+ foci were increased in both sexes of rats exposed to BBN but were not modified by additional SA treatment. Thus, it was confirmed that the selective bladder carcinogen BBN also acts as a liver carcinogen. These results, from the quantitative analysis of small GST-P+ foci as end point marker lesions, indicate that the liver tumor modifying potential of test chemicals can be evaluated in rats by using an initiation/promotion protocol for urinary bladder carcinogenesis.     

Effects of carbon tetrachloride and azathioprine on diethylnitrosamine and N-2-fluorenylacetamide-induced hyperplastic liver nodule and hepatocellular carcinoma

Effects of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) and azathioprine (AZP) on the evolution of hyperplastic liver nodules and foci and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were tested in short- and long-term in vivo experiments. In diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-treated rats, which were fed a N-2-fluorenylacetamide (FAA)-containing diet and additionally treated with repeated CCl4 injections, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma-GTP)-positive hyperplastic nodules were markedly developed in the 8th week of the experiment. However, their number and area in liver sections were remarkably small in DEN-treated rats fed a diet containing both FAA and AZP. Increased area of gamma-GTP-positive foci was also observed in the 12th week in DEN-injected rats fed a choline-devoid died alone or treated with repeated doses of CCl4 alone. Hepatocellular carcinoma in DEN-injected rats treated with both FAA and CCl4 was first detected in the 21st week, and the incidence up to the 36th week was very high. However, no hepatocellular carcinoma developed in DEN-injected rats treated with both FAA and AZP. The increased activity of liver aniline hydroxylase observed 12 h after the administration of FAA, AZP or DEN alone was not observed when AZP was administered simultaneously with FAA to DEN-injected rats. The mechanisms of the effects of CCl4 and AZP on hepatocarcinogenesis are discussed with special reference to drug interaction.     

Study of the relative dose-response of BANG-3 polymer gel dosimeters in epithermal neutron irradiation

Polymer gels have been reported as a new, potential tool for dosimetry in mixed neutron-gamma radiation fields. In this work, BANG-3 (MGS Research Inc.) gel vials from three production batches were irradiated with 6 MV photons of a Varian Clinac 2100 C linear accelerator and with the epithermal neutron beam of the Finnish boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) facility at the FiR 1 nuclear reactor. The gel is tissue equivalent in main elemental composition and density and its T2 relaxation time is dependent on the absorbed dose. The T2 relaxation time map of the irradiated gel vials was measured with a 1.5 T magnetic resonance (MR) scanner using spin echo sequence. The absorbed doses of neutron irradiation were calculated using DORT computer code, and the accuracy of the calculational model was verified by measuring gamma ray dose rate with thermoluminescent dosimeters and 55Mn(n,gamma) activation reaction rate with activation detectors. The response of the BANG-3 gel dosimeter for total absorbed dose in the neutron irradiation was linear, and the magnitude of the response relative to the response in the photon irradiation was observed to vary between different gel batches. The results support the potential of polymer gels in BNCT dosimetry, especially for the verification of two- or three-dimensional dose distributions.     

Micronuclei in binucleated lymphocytes of mice following exposure to gamma radiation

Experiments were designed to investigate the induction of micronuclei (MN) in mouse peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) after in vitro or in vivo exposure to 60Co gamma radiation. For the in vitro experiments, 4 ml of blood from male C57BL/6J mice were either irradiated in 6 ml Falcon culture tubes as whole blood or isolated to obtain mononuclear leukocytes (MNLs) that were pelleted by centrifugation and then irradiated in RPMI 1640. For the in vivo analysis, mice received whole body irradiation, blood was obtained by cardiac puncture, and the MNLs were isolated for each mouse. Exposures were at a rate of 0.82 to 0.90 Gy/min to yield doses of 0.5, 1, 2, 3, or 4 Gy. MNLs were cultured using cytochalasin B for MN analysis in binucleated PBLs. There was a significant dose-dependent increase in MN observed at all doses. Dose-response curves for the in vivo and in vitro whole blood experiment were not significantly different. However, for isolated pelleted MNLs irradiated in vitro, the MN frequency at 4 Gy was less than one-half that seen in the in vivo experiment. The large difference in MN response is thought to be due to the radioprotective effect of hypoxia.     

Placental glutathione S-transferase (GST-P) as a new marker for hepatocarcinogenesis: in vivo short-term screening for hepatocarcinogens

Our laboratory has developed an in vivo short-term screening test for hepatocarcinogens based on quantitation of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma-GT) positive foci. However, gamma-GT positive hepatocytes appear in periportal areas under a variety of circumstances apparently unrelated to hepatocarcinogenesis. Glutathione S-transferase placental type (GST-P), which is hardly detectable in normal rat liver, was recently demonstrated as a new marker protein for preneoplastic liver foci. In experiment I, rats were initially given a single dose (200 mg/kg) of diethylnitrosamine intraperitoneally and 2 weeks later were treated with test compounds for 6 weeks. All rats were subjected to partial hepatectomy at week 3. The long-term development of preneoplastic lesions was followed in rats for 50 weeks. The immunohistochemical investigation of GST-P binding and the histochemical demonstration of gamma-GT in serial sections revealed that almost all gamma-GT foci were GST-P positive, but 5-10% of GST-P foci could not be detected by gamma-GT staining. From week 8, many gamma-GT foci partially lost gamma-GT activity. However, no comparable disappearance of GST-P was evident in the lesions. All hepatocellular carcinomas (HC) found at week 50 consisted of GST-P positive HC cells. In contrast, 37.9% (11/29) of HC were negative for gamma-GT. In experiment II (in vivo short-term screening test for hepatocarcinogens), rats were treated in the same manner as for experiment I and killed at week 8. Fifty-eight chemicals were investigated for their potential to modify GST-P positive foci development.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Liver tumor-promoting effect of beta-naphthoflavone, a strong CYP 1A1/2 inducer, and the relationship between CYP 1A1/2 induction and Cx32 decrease in its hepatocarcinogenesis in the rat

Interrelationships among induction of cytochrome P-450 (CYP) 1A1/2, decrease in connexin 32 (Cx32), and liver tumor-promoting activity by beta-naphthoflavone (BNF) in the promotion stage were examined in a 2-stage liver carcinogenesis model. A total of 20 male Fischer 344 rats were initiated with a single intraperitoneal injection of 150 mg/kg of diethylnitrosamine (DEN) or were given the saline vehicle alone. Starting 2 weeks later, they were fed a diet containing 2%, 1%, or 0% BNF for 6 weeks. All animals were subjected to a two-thirds partial hepatectomy at week 3 and were sacrificed at week 8. Absolute and relative liver weights were significantly increased in the DEN+BNF groups as compared to the DEN-alone group. Diffuse hepatocellular hypertrophy with cytoplasmic eosinophilia, sometimes accompanied by development of adenoma-like hepatic foci, was observed in the BNF-treated rats. Remarkable induction of cytochrome CYP 1A1/2 and significant increase in CYP 2E1 were noted in the DEN+BNF groups, and positive immunohistochemical staining for both was observed diffusely. The areas of Cx32-positive spots per hepatocyte in the centrilobular areas of livers of the BNF-treated rats were significantly decreased, but no changes were observed in periportal areas. The numbers and areas of foci positive for glutathione S-transferase placental form were increased in the BNF-treated groups. These results suggest that BNF is a liver tumor promoter that, unlike phenobarbital, does not induce CYP 2B1/2 isozymes, and there seems to be no direct relationship between CYP 1A1/2 induction and Cx32 reduction in BNF hepatocarcinogenesis.     

Possible model of liver carcinogenesis using inhibitors of NAD+ ADP ribosyl transferase in rats

The response of cellular NAD+ metabolism to DEN and/or ABA and the carcinogenesis of the liver initiated by DEN and ABA were studied in rats. The liver NAD+ level was depleted by an ip injection of 20 mg or 200 mg/kg body weight of DEN. ABA, administered ip at a dose of 600 mg/kg simultaneously with or 4 hours after DEN, prevented the depletion of NAD+ by DEN. These biochemical findings correlated with the changes of conspicuous intranuclear immunofluorescence of poly(ADP-ribose), which were studied by immunohistochemistry. When initiated by 20 mg/kg body weight DEN and 600 mg/kg ABA and then processed to selection pressure, the liver was found to be capable of developing hepatocellular carcinomas with or without PB promotion. These results suggest that the inhibition of poly(ADP-ribosylation) might lead to irreversible initiation of liver carcinogenesis by DEN in rats.