Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0019204 (hepatocellular carcinoma)
 71,386 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Copper (Cu), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn) and manganese (Mn) levels in organs of LEC rats (Long-Evans rats with a cinnamon-like coat color), which develop spontaneous jaundice with hereditary hepatitis, were determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis method. Unusual accumulations of Cu in the liver of LEC rats were found, depending on the age of the animals, the metal concentration being more than approximately 20-40 times those of normal LEA rats (Long-Evans rats with an agouti coat color). Fe and Zn were also accumulated, in addition to Cu, significantly in the LEC rats. The unusual Cu accumulations in the liver of LEC rats were associated with the induction of metallothionein, estimated by radioimmunoassay method, in the liver of LEC rats, rather than that of superoxide dismutase, estimated by electron spin resonance -spin trapping method. These findings suggest that the unusual Cu accumulation in LEC rats is involved in the development of jaundice, hepatic injury and hepatocellular carcinoma.
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PMID:Unusual accumulation of copper related to induction of metallothionein in the liver of LEC rats. 131 72

The activities of the beta 1-6 and beta 1-3 N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase, which synthesize blood group I and i antigens, respectively, were measured in various tissues of hepatitis- and hepatoma-predisposed rats (LEC rats). In LEC rats the beta 1-6 N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase activity was barely detectable in the liver, while substantial enzyme activity was found in other tissues. In the control LEA rats the enzyme was expressed in most tissues, including the liver. Immunochemical studies using a monoclonal antibody which recognizes I antigen indicated that the expression of I antigen was less prominent in hepatocytes of LEC rats than in hepatocytes of LEA rats. The level of beta 1-3 N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase activity was constant in most of the tissues during the development. These results indicate that the biosynthesis of I antigen does not occur in the livers of the LEC rats.
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PMID:Deficiency of beta 1-6 N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase involved in the biosynthesis of blood group I antigen in the liver of LEC rats. 139 24

The incidence and phenotype of preneoplastic and neoplastic liver lesions appearing in LEC rats after recovery from severe hereditary hepatitis were studied in comparison with the liver lesions appearing in chemical liver carcinogenesis. The livers of 168 rats (90 male, 78 female) were stained for seven histochemical markers at different time periods from the 20th week to the 122nd week of life. Glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase), adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) and non-specific esterase (ES) were used as negative markers. Gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), glutathione S-transferase placental form (GSTP), esterase isozyme L-1 (L1) and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) were used as positive markers. The study on the incidence of liver lesions in the LEC rats revealed sequential development of liver foci, nodules and hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) similar to those seen in chemically induced liver carcinogenesis. These lesions appeared earlier and more frequently in male LEC rats than in female ones, suggesting the importance of hormonal environment in spontaneous HCC development. The histochemical analysis of spontaneous liver lesions in LEC rats showed that GSTP was the most reliable positive marker as previously reported in chemical liver carcinogenesis. There was no essential difference in the expression of the markers in spontaneous and chemically induced liver lesions except for L1, which is considered to be related to xenobiotic metabolism. The results of this study suggest that both spontaneous and chemically induced liver cancer may develop by passing through phenotypically similar preneoplastic processes. In addition, the LEC rat uniquely showed chronic liver damage (hepatocyte death and regeneration) at the promotion stage of carcinogenesis. Such a natural history of HCC development in LEC rats is similar to that of human HCC which is frequently associated with chronic liver damage. Thus, the LEC rat provides a useful model for studying the process and underlying mechanisms of human liver cancer development.
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PMID:Phenotype of preneoplastic and neoplastic liver lesions during spontaneous liver carcinogenesis of LEC rats. 169 69

The 5-methylcytosine (5-mCyt) content in hepatic DNA of LEC rats was measured in order to know the mechanism by which changes in the cytochrome P-450 content and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase activity occur. At the age of 10 or 16 weeks, there was no difference in the extent of DNA methylation as compared with that of control strain (LEA) rats. However, in the hepatoma tissues that developed later in LEC animals, the percentage of 5-mCyt in the liver of LEC rats was markedly reduced. A single i.p. dose of 5-azacytidine brought about a significant reduction of 5-mCyt content with a concomitant decrease of cytochrome P-450 and an increase in gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase activity in LEC rats, whereas no such changes occurred in the control LEA rats. These results suggest that LEC rats are highly sensitive to 5-azacytidine and that a reduction in hepatic DNA methylation may play some role in the predisposition of the rats to hepatitis or hepatoma.
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PMID:High sensitivity to 5-azacytidine in LEC rats, a strain with a metabolic predisposition to hepatitis and hepatoma: possible involvement of DNA methylation in the expression of cytochrome P-450 and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase. 171 64

LEC (Long-Evans with a cinnamon-like coat color) rats develop hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) spontaneously. We examined mutations of codons 12, 13, and 61 of the Ha-ras, Ki-ras, and N-ras genes in four HCCs by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-single-stranded DNA direct sequencing method. No ras gene mutations were observed, suggesting that ras activation is not involved in spontaneous hepatocarcinogenesis in LEC rats. The expression of mRNAs for c-myc, Ha-ras, c-raf, and the protein phosphatase 2A alpha gene (PP-2A alpha) was also examined in the four HCCs by northern blot analysis. Three of the four HCCs had c-myc expression levels approximately 30-fold higher than that in the liver of control Long-Evans rats with an agouti coat color (LEA), a sibling line of LEC rats, while the remaining HCC had an expression level sevenfold higher than that of control. In contrast, the expression levels of the Ha-ras, c-raf, and PP-2A alpha genes were the same as those in the livers of control rats. Studies of c-myc expression and mitotic index in five other HCCs, two hyperplastic nodules, and two nontumorous portions of livers of HCC-bearing LEC rats that had chronic-phase hepatitis suggested that the high level of c-myc gene expression was not due only to increased cell proliferation but might possibly be more integrally involved in hepatocarcinogenesis.
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PMID:Possible involvement of c-myc but not ras genes in hepatocellular carcinomas developing after spontaneous hepatitis in LEC rats. 171 40

Marked alterations of hepatic drug-metabolizing enzymes were observed in hepatitis- and hepatoma-predisposed rats (LEC rats) fed a choline-deficient diet. The diet enhanced the development of hepatitis with severe jaundice. The levels of two major classes of cytochrome P-450, P-450PB and P-450MC, were markedly decreased. GST-Yp was dramatically increased, whereas GST-Ya, Yb1 and Yb2 were decreased. LEA rats (the control rats to LEC) fed a choline-deficient diet mimicked LEC rats fed a normal diet in terms of the above enzyme alterations, indicating that hypomethylation is involved in the pathogenesis of hepatitis and hepatoma in LEC rats. Such hypomethylation may initiate the hepatocytes that spontaneously develop hepatitis and hepatoma.
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PMID:Enhancing effect of a choline-deficient diet on alterations of hepatic drug-metabolizing enzymes in hepatitis- and hepatoma-predisposed rats (LEC rats). 190 19

We studied the copper concentrations in the non-cancerous and cancerous liver tissues of LEC rats with hereditary hepatitis and spontaneous hepatoma by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Copper concentration in the non-cancerous livers of 29-month-old male LEC rats was comparable to that in the livers of LEC rats aged 2, 3 and 8 months whose hepatic copper concentrations were more than 40 times those of normal LEA rats. Copper concentration in spontaneously developed hepatocellular carcinomas of the 29-month-old male LEC rats was lower than that in the surrounding non-cancerous liver tissues, but was still more than 39 times that of 8-month-old male LEA rats. These findings suggest that in LEC rats an abnormal copper metabolism may be maintained during the process of hepatic carcinogenesis.
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PMID:Abnormal copper accumulation in non-cancerous and cancerous liver tissues of LEC rats developing hereditary hepatitis and spontaneous hepatoma. 190 94

The LEC rat is a mutant inbred strain isolated from Long-Evans rats, which spontaneously develops hepatitis and hepatoma with high frequency. In this study, copper profiles of LEC rats, including copper concentration in the liver and concentrations of copper and ceruloplasmin in the serum, were investigated. It was found that copper accumulated in the liver of LEC rats immediately prior to the onset of hepatitis with a concentration of more than 50 times that of normal LEA rats, and serum concentrations of copper and ceruloplasmin decreased markedly, which resembled biochemically characteristic features of human Wilson's disease. Administration of d-penicillamine (100 mg/Kg/day p. o), a chelating agent, reduced the hepatic copper level and completely inhibited the development of hepatitis in LEC rats. Copper also accumulated in both cancerous and non-cancerous liver tissues of three 29-month old male LEC rats which had spontaneously developed hepatocellular carcinomas. These findings suggest that the hepatitis in LEC rats is caused by copper toxicity, and that the abnormal copper metabolism may be involved in hepatic carcinogenesis in the LEC rats. Therefore, it is considered that the LEC rat will provide a promising animal model for not only elucidating the pathogenesis of Wilson's disease and developing treatment strategies of the disease, but also for studying the role of copper in hepatic carcinogenesis.
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PMID:[Abnormal hepatic copper accumulation and its significance in LEC rats developing spontaneous hepatitis and hepatoma]. 195 41

We have studied the expressions of nine proto-oncogenes (c-myc, N-myc, c-fos, C-jun, p53, H-ras, N-ras, c-raf, hst) and two other genes (PCNA, GST-P) during the spontaneous development of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) in LEC rats. Expression of c-myc, H-ras, N-ras, C-raf, p53 and PCNA genes was detected, but this did not significantly change during the development of HCCs in LEC rats. Expression of N-myc and hst genes was not detectable. Expression of c-fos gene was detected in one HCC case out of four. Significantly increased expression of c-jun gene was observed in the liver tissues of LEC rats aged 8 months. This high expression was decreased with the development of HCCs. On the other hand, the expression of GST-P gene increased in parallel with the clinical course of the development of HCCs in LEC rats. The pattern of c-jun mRNA augmentation was different from that of GST-P mRNA. These observations suggest that c-jun gene may play a role in the spontaneous development of HCCs in LEC rats.
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PMID:Increased expression of c-jun gene during spontaneous hepatocarcinogenesis in LEC rats. 197 34

A remarkably high incidence of hepatocellular carcinomas was observed in long-surviving LEC rats with hereditary hepatitis. Among the 60 LEC rats examined between 12 and 28 months of age from F29 and F30, 55 (92%) developed putative preneoplastic and neoplastic lesions such as hyperplastic foci and nodules, and hepatocellular carcinomas. Of these, hepatocellular carcinomas were observed with a high frequency (46/55; 84%). All rats of advanced age that survived more than 18 months developed hepatocellular carcinomas. These results suggest that the development of liver tumors in LEC rats is an age-associated phenomenon with serial hepatic alterations after the subsidence of acute hepatitis. The long-surviving rats had no normal tissue and showed chronic hepatitis in nontumorous tissues of the liver. Cholangiofibrosis was also found in most rats with hepatic lesions. Metastasis of hepatocellular carcinomas was found in four rats. Histologically, the hepatocellular carcinomas were of a well-differentiated type with a typical trabecular structure. Thus, LEC rats seem to be a promising animal model for studying the pathogenesis of hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma.
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PMID:High susceptibility to hepatocellular carcinoma development in LEC rats with hereditary hepatitis. 245 92


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