Characteristics of hepatic nuclear-transcription factor-kappa B expression and quantitative analysis in rat hepatocarcinogenesis.
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.
Wu
Wei
W
Research Center of Clinical Molecular Biology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong 226001, China.
Yao
Deng-Fu
DF
Qiu
Li-Wei
LW
Sai
Wen-Li
WL
Shen
Jun-Jun
JJ
Yu
Hong-Bo
HB
Wu
Xin-Hua
XH
Li
Yue-Ming
YM
Wang
Yi-Lang
YL
Gu
Wen-Jing
WJ
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
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D016328:NF-kappa B; D015073:2-Acetylaminofluorene