title: Low frequency of retinoblastoma gene alterations in rat hepatocellular carcinomas.
abstract: Abnormalities of the retinoblastoma (Rb) gene have been reported in some human cancers, including hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs). We examined by Southern blotting the status of the Rb gene in HCCs induced in rats in four experimental models. A low frequency of Rb gene alterations, detected as novel hybridizing bands unique to each tumor, was observed. Expression of the Rb protein product was examined in the HCCs and in seven established rat hepatoma cell lines studied. It appears, therefore, that alterations in the structure or expression of the Rb gene do occur but probably do not contribute in a major way to hepatocarcinogenesis in the rat.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chandar
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lombardi
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D004247:DNA; D017353:Gene Deletion; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000235:genetics; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics; D016161:Genes, Retinoblastoma / Q000235:genetics*; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008114:Liver Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D011233:Precipitin Tests; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D016160:Retinoblastoma Protein / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D016160:Retinoblastoma Protein; D004247:DNA