Early histological and functional alterations of ethionine liver carcinogenesis in rats fed a choline-deficient diet.
The effects of feeding a choline-deficient (CD) or a choline-supplemented diet upon the early stages of DL-ethionine carcinogenesis in rat liver were investigated. Low levels of DL-ethionine (0.05 and 0.10%) when fed with a CD diet were found to induce within 4 weeks a massive proliferation of oval cells without significant cell necrosis or presence of inflammatory cell infiltrates. The same levels of ethionine when fed with a choline-supplemented diet caused no significant histological alteration of the liver. In rats fed the CD plus ethionine diets concomitant with the proliferation of oval cells, there was a marked elevation in the content of alpha1-fetoprotein in both liver and plasma. After specific immunofluorescence staining, oval cells stained intensely for albumin and alpha1-fetoprotein. Hepatocytes stained only for albumin, and bile duct cells stained for neither albumin nor alpha1-fetoprotein. These results indicate that a diet deficient in choline markedly alters the response of rat liver to carcinogenetic doses of ethionine. Thus, ethionine hepatocarcinogenesis in rats fed a CD diet may be a useful model for the exploration of the mechanism(s) whereby a dietary factor influences hepatocarcinogenesis.
D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000418:Albumins / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000032:analysis; D002455:Cell Division; D002794:Choline / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004032:Diet / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005001:Ethionine; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000032:analysis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000209:etiology; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000032:analysis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis
D000418:Albumins; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D002794:Choline; D001663:Bilirubin; D005001:Ethionine