title: Characteristics of hepatic nuclear-transcription factor-kappa B expression and quantitative analysis in rat hepatocarcinogenesis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors. We analyzed the expression of nuclear-transcription factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB) during hepatocarcinogenesis in order to evaluate its dynamic expression and its clinical value in the development and diagnosis of HCC.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hepatoma models were induced by oral administration of 2-acetamidoflurene (2-FAA) to male Sprague-Dawley rats. Morphological changes were observed after hematoxylin and eosin staining. The cellular distribution of NF-kappaB expression during different stages of cancer development was investigated by immunohistochemistry, and the level of NF-kappaB expression in liver tissues was quantitatively analyzed by ELISA. The gene fragments of hepatic NF-kappaB were amplified by nested-polymerase chain reaction assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hepatocytes showed vacuole-like degeneration during the early stages, then had a hyperplastic nodal appearance during the middle stages, and finally progressed to tubercles of cancerous nests with high differentiation. The NF-kappaB-positive material was buff-colored, fine particles localized in the nucleus, and the incidence of NF-kappaB-positive cells was 81.8% in degeneration, 83.3% in precancerous lesions, and 100% in cancerous tissues. All of these values were higher than those in controls (P<0.01). Hepatic NF-kappaB expression and hepatic NF-kappaB-mRNA were also higher during the course of HCC development (P<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The NF-kappaB signal transduction pathway is activated during the early stages of HCC development, and its abnormal expression may be associated with the occurrence of HCC.
authors.affiliation: Research Center of Clinical Molecular Biology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong 226001, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Deng-Fu
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Li-Wei
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Wen-Li
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Sai
authors.forename: Jun-Jun
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Hong-Bo
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Xin-Hua
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Yue-Ming
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yi-Lang
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wen-Jing
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Gu
mesh_terms: D015073:2-Acetylaminofluorene / Q000009:adverse effects; D000818:Animals; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018450:Disease Progression; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D016328:NF-kappa B; D015073:2-Acetylaminofluorene