title: Presence of a no-observed effect level for enhancing effects of development of the alpha-isomer of benzene hexachloride (alpha-BHC) on diethylnitrosamine-initiated hepatic foci in rats.
abstract: The dose dependence of the promoting effects of the alpha-isomer of benzene hexachloride (alpha-BHC) on hepatocarcinogenesis was investigated in a medium-term rat liver bioassay (Ito test). A total of 195 F344 male rats, 6 weeks old, were given a single intraperitoneal injection of diethylnitrosamine (DEN) at the start of the experiment and subjected to two-thirds partial hepatectomy at week 3. Two weeks after the administration of DEN, alpha-BHC were fed to rats at doses of 0, 0.01, 0.1, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 7.5, 15, 30, 60, 125 and 500 ppm in diet for 6 weeks. All surviving animals were killed at week 8, and their livers were examined immunohistochemically for detection of glutathione S-transferase placental form (GST-P)-positive foci, surrogate preneoplastic lesions. Quantitative values for numbers and areas were dose-dependently increased in rats given alpha-BHC at 0.5-500 ppm. However, those for groups treated with 0.01 and 0.1 ppm were decreased, albeit not significantly in comparison to the controls. Cytochrome P450 3A2 (CYP3A2) protein levels and activities showed a good correlation to the number and area of GST-P-positive foci. These results support evidence of hormesis and indicate a no-observed effect level for alpha-BHC promoting potentials may exist regarding rat liver carcinogenesis, which correlates with expression of CYP3A2 in the liver.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Osaka City University Medical School, 1-4-3 Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka 545-8585, Japan.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Masuda
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wanibuchi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Otori
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hiroi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Imaoka
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Funae
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fukushima
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D002273:Carcinogens; D019363:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 / Q000378:metabolism; D019362:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2B1 / Q000378:metabolism; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000378:metabolism; D004052:Diethylnitrosamine; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004347:Drug Interactions; D004790:Enzyme Induction; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000378:metabolism*; D001556:Hexachlorocyclohexane / Q000633:toxicity*; D007536:Isomerism; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000201:enzymology; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D013250:Steroid Hydroxylases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002273:Carcinogens; D004052:Diethylnitrosamine; D001556:Hexachlorocyclohexane; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; D013250:Steroid Hydroxylases; D019363:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1; D019362:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2B1; C022657:steroid hormone 6-beta-hydroxylase; D005982:Glutathione Transferase