Open AccessHigh Susceptibility to Hepatocellular Carcinoma Development in LEC Rats with Hereditary Hepatitis
Author(s) -
Masuda Ryuichi,
Yoshida Michihiro C.,
Sasaki Motomichi,
Dempo Kimimaro,
Mori Michio
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
japanese journal of cancer research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.035
H-Index - 141
eISSN - 1349-7006
pISSN - 0910-5050
DOI - 10.1111/j.1349-7006.1988.tb00044.x
Subject(s) - hepatocellular carcinoma , pathology , hepatitis , medicine , pathogenesis , metastasis , carcinoma , cancer
A remarkably high incidence of hepatocellular carcinomas was observed in long‐surviving LEC rats with hereditary hepatitis. Among the 60 LEC rats examined between 12 and 28 months of age from F 29 , and F 30 , 55 (92%) developed putative preneoplastic and neoplastic lesions such as hyperplastic foci and nodules, and hepatocellular carcinomas. Of these, hepatocellular carcinomas were observed with a high frequency (46/55; 84%). All rats of advanced age that survived more than 18 months developed hepatocellular carcinomas. These results suggest that the development of liver tumors in LEC rats is an age‐associated phenomenon with serial hepatic alterations after the subsidence of acute hepatitis. The long‐surviving rats had no normal tissue and showed chronic hepatitis in nontumorous tissues of the liver. Cholangiofibrosis was also found in most rats with hepatic lesions. Metastasis of hepatocellular carcinomas was found in four rats. Histologically, the hepatocellular carcinomas were of a well‐differentiated type with a typical trabecular structure. Thus, LEC rats seem to be a promising animal model for studying the pathogenesis of hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma.