title: WY-14,643-mediated promotion of hepatocarcinogenesis in connexin32-wild-type and connexin32-null mice.
abstract: Connexin32 (Cx32) is the major gap junction forming protein in liver and lack of functional Cx32 enhances hepatocarcinogenesis. Many tumour-promoting agents block gap junctional intercellular communication, which may favour clonal expansion of neoplastic cells. We recently demonstrated that liver tumourigenesis is accelerated in Cx32-wild-type but not in Cx32-null mice by the model tumour promoter phenobarbital (PB). In the present study, male Cx32-wild-type and Cx32-null mice were treated with a single injection of 90 micro g/g body wt of N-nitrosodiethylamine (DEN) at 6 weeks of age and were subsequently kept on a diet containing the peroxisome proliferator [4-chloro-6-(2,3-xylidino)-2-pyrimidinylthio]acetic acid (Wy-14,643) or on control diet. Thirty-eight weeks after DEN treatment, mice were killed, frozen liver sections were prepared and (pre)-neoplastic lesions were identified by alterations in glucose-6-phosphatase (G-6-Pase) and glutamine synthetase (GS) staining. G-6-Pase-deficient lesions were generally small in size and were observed in all groups of mice. Large focal pre-neoplastic and benign neoplastic lesions, however, which demonstrated increased rather than decreased activity in G-6-Pase were exclusively present in DEN/Wy-14,643-treated mice. G-6-Pase-positive lesions were strongly promoted by Wy-14,643, both in Cx32-wild-type and Cx32-null mice without significant difference in response between mice of the two genotypes. This contrasts G-6-Pase-negative lesions and lesions over-expressing GS, which were both increased by WY-14,643 treatment in number and size in Cx32-wild-type but not in Cx32-null mice. GS-positive lesions from WY-14,643-treated mice harboured beta-catenin mutations, a hallmark of lesions selected during promotion by PB, while G-6-Pase-positive lesions, which displayed negative or diffuse GS staining, did not show beta-catenin mutations. Our results demonstrate significant differences between mouse liver lesions of differing phenotype and genotype in their response towards selection by Wy-14,643 during the promotional phase of hepatocarcinogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Pharmakologie und Toxikologie, Abteilung Toxikologie, Universität Tübingen, Wilhelmstr. 56, D-72074 Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Moennikes
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stahl
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bannasch
authors.forename: Albrecht
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Buchmann
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schwarz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002273:Carcinogens; D003043:Cocarcinogenesis; D017630:Connexins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D008114:Liver Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D009154:Mutation; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000633:toxicity*; D000097002:Gap Junction beta-1 Protein
chemical_list: D002273:Carcinogens; D017630:Connexins; D011743:Pyrimidines; D000097002:Gap Junction beta-1 Protein; C006253:pirinixic acid