Relationship between tumor necrosis factor-α and liver fibrosis

INTRODUCTION: To interstate the relationship between tumor necrosis factor-α and liver fibrosis in patients with chronic liver disease.

METHODS: Radioimmunoassay was made in 20 patients with mild chronic hepatitis (CMH), 20 patients with severe chronic hepatitis (CSH), 51 patients with liver cirrhosis (LC) and 32-normal persons to determine the contents of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), laminin-(LN) and hyaluronate (HA) in serum. The changes in and relationship between TNF-α, LN and HA were analyzed. The TNF-α and collagen III were determined using mmunohistochemical studies in liver tissues from 32 persons including 7 normal persons, 3 patients with MCH, 5 patients with SCH and 17 with LC.

RESULTS: TNF-α, LN and HA levels in serum of CSH and LC patients were significantly higher than those in healthy controls (SCH: 1.11 ± 0.59, 130.7 ± 17.2, 219.1 ± 121.3; LC: 0.92 ± 0.66, 156.8 ± 31.7, 400.5 ± 183.7, P < 0.05-0.01), which increased gradually, and correlated positively with each other in all patients with liver diseases (n = 91, gamma= 0.3149, P < 0.01). TNF-α contents-showed a remarkably positive correlation with HA and LN levels in CMH and CSH (LN: n = 40, gamma = 0.3404, P < 0.05 HA: n = 40, gamma = 0.3847, P < 0.05). The total collagen content of MCH, SCH and LC increased gradually in liver biopsy specimens. The number of TNF-α positive cells increased significantly in liver tissues from patients with SCH and LC (62%; 45%; P < 0.01). TNF-α positive cells were mainly located in the periportal areas.

CONCLUSION: TNF-α may be related to liver fibrosis, and might promote liver fibrosis.

Arylsulfatase, β-galactosidase and lysozyme in gastric cancer cells and its relationship to invasion

AIM: To study the distribution of arylsulfatase, β-galactosidase and lysozyme in gastric cancer cells, and its relationship to differentiation and invasion of gastric cancer cells.

METHODS: Histochemical, immunohistochemical and ruthenium red (RR) electrocytochemical technique for three types of hydrolases and proteoglycans in pericancerous matrix in 33 cases of gastric cancer were observed under light and electron microscopy.

RESULTS: The expression intensities of arylsulfatase, β-glactosidase and lysozyme in mucinous cell carcinomas were more intensive than those in well-differentiated and poorly-differentiated adenocarcinomas ( P < 0.05-0.01). The fibrous tissues smooth muscle and proteoglycans close to the cancer cells were degraded. They were found in the region far from the cancer cells. Expression of three enzymes mentioned above was low in adenocarcinoma cells, and fibrous tissues and RR granules were present and intact near the well-differentiated and poorly-differentiated adenocarcinoma cells.

CONCLUSION: Mucinous cell carcinoma may release various hydrolases into extracellular matrix, inducing degradation of pericancerous matrix and facilitating cancer cell invasion and metastasis.

Pancreatic tumor: DSA diagnosis and treatment

AIM: To study the clinical significance of the diagnosis and catheterized interventional treatment of digital subtraction angiography (DSA) for pancreatic tumors.

METHODS: Ninety-two patients with pancreatic tumor, 69 males and 23 females, aged from 41 to 70 years (mean 57.1 years) were diagnosed with DSA. Sixty-one patients with pancreatic cancer were treated with transcatheter celiac and superior mesenteric arterial anticancer agents (MMC 20 mg, EADM 40 mg and 5-FU 2.0 g) infusion (TCSAI).

RESULTS: The DSA diagnoses were confirmed by operations and pathological examinations, with a coincidence 82.6% rate of, and a therapeutic effective rate of 42.6%.

CONCLUSION: DSA is of diagnostic value for pancreatic tumors, and helpful in understanding the course of the disease, judging the prognosis and selecting the therapeutic regimen, and could improve the chemotherapeutic effect as well.

Clinical and experimental study of therapeutic effect of Weixibaonizhuan pills on gastric precancerous lesions

AIM:To observe the therapeutic effect of Wei-xibaonizhuan pills on gastric precancerous lesions.METHODS: Thirty patients with gastric precancerous lesions were treated with Weixibaonizhuan pills for 3 months. Of the 36 cases, 13 (36.1%) were mild atrophic gastritis, 14 (38.9%) moderate atrophic gastritis and 9 (25.0%) severe atrophic gastritis; among them 22 (61.1%) and 27 cases (75.0%) were accompanied with intestinal metaplasia (IM) and dysplasia (DYS) respectively. Of the 36 patients, 20 were men and 16 women, aged from 30-60 years and those aged 30-59 years accounted for 61.1%. The course of disease ranged from 3 months to 21 years, and 20 (55.6%) of them had a course of 5-10 years. The clinical manifestations were fullness of the abdomen (31 cases),abdominalgia (27 cases), anorexia (30 cases), gas eructation (26 cases), acid regurgitation (6 cases) and loose stool (9 cases). When treatment ended, the improvement of patients' clinical symptoms, atrophy of gastric mucosa, IM and DYS were analysed.RESULTS: After 3 months' treatment with Wei-xibaonizhuan pills,7 cases recovered, 11 cases were much improved, 13 cases showed some improvement, and 5 cases were ineffective; the total rate of symptomatic improvement was 86.1%. Of the 13 cases with mild atrophic gastritis, 11 cases changed into superficial gastritis, and 2 cases had no changes. Of the 14 cases of moderate atrophic gastritis, 4 cases changed into superficial gastritis, 7 cases changed into mild atrophic gastritis, and 3 cases had no changes. Five of 9 cases of severe atrophic gastritis were reduced to moderate atrophic gastritis, and 4 cases had no changes. The total effective rate was 77.8% in chronic atrophic gastritis. Of the 9 cases with mild IM, IM disappeared in 6 cases and 3 showed no change. Of the 10 cases with moderate IM, it disappeared in 2 cases, 5 cases changed to ild IM, and 3 cases had no change. One of the 4 cases of severe IM changed to moderate IM and 3 had no change. The total effective rate was 63.6% in IM. Of the 16 cases of mild DYS, 11 cases showed disappearance of DYS and 5 had no change. In 9 cases of moderate DYS, 2 showed disappearance, 5 changed to mild DYS and 2 had no change. Two cases of severe DYS, both showed no change. The total effective rate was 66.7% in DYS. Before treatment, the I, II, III and IV degree positive expressions of CEA were present in 13, 12, 9 and 2 cases, respectively, whereas after treatment, the positive expressions were present in 25, 7, 3 and 1, respectively. Before treatment, the I, II, III and IV degree positive expressions of PCNA were present in 16, 11, 10 and 4 respectively, but after treatment, they were present in 21, 9, 5 and 1 respectively. In short, the positive expressions of CEA and PCNA of gastric mucosa were significantly decreased after treatment (P < 0.01).CONCLUSION: Weixibaonizhuan pill has a therapeutic effect in gastric precancerous lesions.

A study of the relationship between trace element Mo and gastric cancer

AIM:To study the relationship between trace element Mo and gastric cancer.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Soil samples were collected according to its type in different areas of Jiangxi Province; available molybdenum content in soil was measured by catalytic polarography and rank correlation method was used to analyse correlation between the mean of soil available molybdenum and mortality rate of gastric cancer in each county and city in Jiangxi Province. Gastric cancer cases were selected from the authors' hospital, occiput hair was collected to measure its molybdenum content with an atomic absorption spectrograph and controls were selected from the same hospital for comparison. Gastric cancer cases were selected from three hospitals at the same time, blood samples were taken on an empty stomach and serum molybdenum contents were measured with the atomic absorption spectrograph, and controls were selected from the same hospitals. Blind method was used in the whole course (chemical analysts did not know the source and nature of samples).RESULTS: A negative correlation existed between soil available molybdenum content and mortality rate of gastric cancer (r = -0.285, P < 0.05); hair molybdenum contents of gastric cancer cases were lower than those of healthy controls (0.308&mgr;g/g plus minus 0.673&mgr;g/g and 0.707&mgr;g/g plus minus 0.561&mgr;g/g respectively, P < 0.01); serum molybdenum contents of patients were also lower than those of healthy controls (21.84&mgr;g/L plus minus 7.49&mgr;g/L and 25.38&mgr;g/L plus minus 8.58&mgr;g/L respectively,P< 0.05).CONCLUSION: Deficiency of molybdenum may be one of the risk factors in gastric cancer.

Relationship between different sources of drinking water, water quality improvement and gastric cancer mortality in Changle County-A retrospective-cohort study in high incidence area

AIM:To investigate the relationship between different sources of drinking water supply, water quality improvement and gastric cancer mortality rate in a high risk area.METHODS: A retrospective-cohort survey was carried out in all towns of this county to study the effect of different sources of drinking water supply and water quality improvement on gastric cancer mortality rate.RESULTS: The gastric cancer mortality rate among the population 124.05/10(5) drinking river water was obviously higher than that of drinking shallow well water (74.85/10(5)) (P < 0.01) according to the Zhanggang Town 16 years accumulated data. The same pattern was presented in 7 towns after balancing the confounders. The gastric cancer mortality rate of population drinking river water was 86.03/10(5), which was higher than those drinking shallow well water (62.03/10(5)) and tap water (29.78/10(5))(P < 0.01). When the drinking water switched from river and well water to tap water, the gastric cancer incidence decreased to 30.33/10(5) and 26.10/10(5), and the gastric cancer mortality decreased by 59% and 57% respectively.CONCLUSION: The quality of drinking water is one of the important factors of increased incidence of gastric cancer in Changle County, and water quality improvement has a beneficial effect, but the cause of high gastric cancer incidence may be multi-factorial in this area.

Overexpression of P53 and its risk factors in esophageal cancer in urban areas of Xi'an

AIM:To investigate the risk factors of esophageal cancer (EC) in urban areas of Xi'an and to determine the association between overexpression of P53 and these risk factors.METHODS: All cases (89) and controls (97) were permanent residents in urban areas of Xi'an, all cases of primary EC had been histologically confirmed, controls were inpatients with non-cancer and nonsmoking-related disease. Cancer tissues and tissues adjacent to the cancer of 65 cases and 24 available normal esophageal tissues of controls were detected for P53 overexpression by the immunohistochemical method.RESULTS: The smoking and familial history of cancer were significantly associated with EC in Xi'an inhabitants. The laboratory assay indicated that P53 positive stain in EC was 50.0%(34/65)and 6.1%(4/65) in tissues adjacent to the cancer, but no positive stain was found in normal esophageal tissues of controls. The results showed that P53 overexpression in EC was closely related to smoking and cases with familial history of cancer.CONCLUSION: Smoking and familial cancer history were important risk factors for EC,and the alteration of P53 gene may be due to smoking and inheritance factors.

Effect of garlic and garlic-green tea mixture on serum lipids in MNNG-induced experimental gastric carcinoma and precancerous lesion

INTRODUCTION:To study effect of garlic and garlic-green tea mixture on serum contents of Tch,LDL and HDL in MNNG induced gastric carcinoma (GC) and precancerous lesion (PL) in Wistar rats.METHODS:Serum contents of Tch,LDL and HDL in normal control group (n=10,NG),MNNG group (n=30,MG),prevention group (n=30,PG),treatment group I (n=20,TG I) and treatment group II(n=20,TG II) were detected by PGE 6000/COD.RESULTS:Serum Tch and LDL of rats of MG (6.86±1.39 3.72±1.10) and its GC(6.95±1.37 3.77±1.08) and PL(6.42±1.04 3.56±0.74) were lower than that of NG (8.74±1.89 5.89±1.61) PG(7.73±3.18 4.96±2.89) and its GC(8.36±3.41 5.93±3.31) and PL(7.45±3.16 4.55±2.71),TGI(8.86±1.75 5.38±1.76) and its GC (9.10±2.27 5.55±2.51) and PL (8.61±1.17 5.22±0.55) and TG II (8.16±0.76 5.32±0.72) and its GC(8.52±0.67 5.96±0.48) and PL (8.02±0.79 5.09±0.65),respectively (P <0.01-0.05).Serum HDL of MG rats (2.76±0.48) and its GC(2.79±0.48) were remarkably higher than that of MG (2.20±0.85) and GC of PG (2.24±0.38) (P <0.05).CONCLUSION:Experimental gastric carcinoma and precancerous lesion were associated with hypocholesterolaemia,LDL and HDL.Garlic and garlic-green tea mixture can inhibit and reverse MNNG-induced gastric carcinoma and precancerous lesion in Wistar rats.

Expression of glutathione S-transferase placental mRNA in hepatic preneoplastic lesions in rats

AIM:To detect glutathione S-transferase placental (GST-P) mRNA expression in hepatic preneoplastic lesions in rats.METHODS: Using Solit-Farber model, the GST-P mRNA expression was observed in hepatic preneoplastic lesions induced by diethylnitrosamine (DEN) in rats and normal and regenerated hepatic tissues in the control group by in situ hybridization.RESULTS: GST-P mRNA was mainly expressed in altered hepatic foci (AHF) and some of the oval cells in hepatic preneoplastic lesions and the extent of its expression was different among various foci or/and positive cells in the same focus whereas no expression was observed in normal and regenerated hepatic tissues.CONCLUSION: Cells in AHF and oval cells may be the preneoplastic cells in the experimental hepatocellular carcinoma at the molecular level and heterogeneity exists in GST-P transcription levels.

Influence of diet intake on liver function test

AIM: To study whether dietary intake influences liver function test.

METHODS: Blood samples were obtained from patients liver diseases (n = 100) and controls (without liver diseases; n = 100) first at 07: 00 in the morning (fasting state) and then 2 h after a meal (fed state). The Hitachi-7150 automatic biochemistry analyzer was used to assess the following liver function indexes: Serum bilirubin, thymol turbidity test, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, gamma glutamyl transferase, SP, A and G. Statistical significance of differences between inter-group values was determined using SAS software.

RESULTS: None of the indexes showed statistically significant differences between the fasting state and the fed state (P = 0.476-0.978).

CONCLUSION: Liver function test can be performed after a meal.

Comparison of preoperative TN staging of gastric carcinoma by endoscopic ultrasonography with CT examination

AIM: To assess the accuracy and limitations of endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) in the preoperative staging of gastric carcinoma in comparison with computed tomography (CT).

METHODS: According to the new (1987) TN staging, 62 patients with gastric carcinomas were examined preoperatively by EUS and the results compared with those of postoperative pathological TN staging. CT of abdomen was performed before surgery for 32 of the patients.

RESULTS: The overall accuracy of T staging was 83.9% for EUS and 28.1% for CT. For the detection of regional lymph node metastases, EUS accuracy was 79.0%, sensitivity 80.0% and specificity 87.5%, versus 50.0% accuracy for CT. The coincidence of perigastric infiltration was 90.0% for EUS and 41.2% for CT. The most frequent causes of misdiagnosis by EUS were microscopic tumor invasion and peritumorous inflammatory or fibrous changes.

CONCLUSION: EUS is a reliable method for the clinical evaluation of locoregional extension of gastric cancer and more accurate than CT in the preoperative staging of gastric carcinoma.

Overproduction of nitric oxide inhibits vascular reactivity in portal hypertensive rats

AIM

To evaluate the relationship between nitric oxide (NO) and hyperdynamic circulatory status in portal hypertension.

METHODS

Twenty male Sprague Dawley rats (weighing 200 ± 20 g) were randomized into two groups: portal hypertension group (n = 12) and sham-operated control group (n = 8). The portal hypertensive model was established by means of graded constriction of the portal vein. The concentrations of nitrite (NO2 (-)) in the portal vein and peripheral blood were measured by fluorometric assay to reflect NO levels. The reactivity of isolated abdominal aortic rings from rats with partial portal vein constriction and controls was determined by assessing response to administration of potassium chloride (KCl) (10-80 mmol/L) and phenylephrine (10(-9)-10(-4) mol/L) with or without preincubation with NO synthase inhibitor Nω-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA).

RESULTS

Serum concentrations of NO2 (-) in the portal vein blood (0.766 ± 0.097 μmol/L) and peripheral blood (0.687 ± 0.092 μmol/L) were elevated in portal hypertensive rats, as compared with the concentrations in controls (0.613 ± 0.084 μmol/L and 0.591 ± 0.045 μmol/L respectively, both P < 0.01). In addition, the rates of NO2 (-) in portal vein blood were markedly higher than those in peripheral blood (P < 0.05) in the portal hypertensive rats. Abdominal aortic rings from rats with portal vein constriction exhibited significantly impaired contractility to phenylephrine and KCl, as compared with the control rats. The EC50 values of KCl were markedly higher in the portal hypertensive rings (26.5 ± 0.9 mmol/L) than in the control rings (22.3 ± 1.7 mmol/L, P < 0.01), as were the EC50 values of phenylephrine (37.2 ± 0.4 nmol/L vs control rings: 28.1 ± 0.2 nmol/L, P < 0.01). After preincubation of rings with L-NNA, the difference in EC50 values between portal hypertensive and control rings was no longer statistically significant for either KCl (20.18 ± 0.8 mmol/L vs 19.4 ± 1.2 mmol/L, P > 0.05) or phenylephrine (22.4 ± 1.8 nmol/L vs 21.8 ± 1.4 nmol/L, P > 0.05). However, the maximal concentrations of KCl and phenylephrine for inducing contractions were still significantly lower in the portal hypertensive rings (1.08 ± 0.1 g and 1.43 ± 0.14 g) than in the control rings (1.21 ± 0.11 g and 1.72 ± 0.11 g respectively, both P < 0.05). Thus, addition of the NO synthase inhibitor L-NNA could partially restore contractile responses to KCl and phenylephrine in portal hypertensive rings.

CONCLUSION

NO overproduction inhibits the vascular reactivity to vasoconstrictors, and it might be one of the main causes of vasodilatation and hyperdynamic circulatory status in portal hypertension.

Treatment of cancerous ascites and radical gastrectomy with intraperitoneal hyperthermic double-distilled water and cis-diaminodichloro-platinum perfusion

AIM: To study the therapeutic effect of intraperitoneal hyperthermic double-distilled water and cis-diaminodichloro-platinum (DDP) perfusion for cancerous ascites and radical gastrectomy.

METHODS: LACA mice were injected peritoneally with H₂₂ cancer cells (2 × 10⁷ tumor cells). Five days later, the mice received treatments with either intraperitoneal perfusion of 37 °C isotonic fluid (group I), or 43 °C simple hyperthermic double-distilled water (group II), isotonic fluid (group III), DDP (group IV) or a combination of the hyperthermic double-distilled water with DDP (group V). A clinical experiment with intraperitoneal hyperthermic double-distilled water perfusion with DDP was carried out from September 1991 through September 1993 with 32 advanced gastric cancer patients who had undergone radical gastrectomy.

RESULTS: In comparison with the untreated control group of cancer cell-bearing LACA mice, the mice in all treatment groups showed near complete obliteration of cancer cells in the peritoneal cavity, markedly reduced ascites, prolonged survival times, and reduced growth of peritoneal cancerous nodes. In the clinical experiment, all 32 patients with advanced carcinoma had achieved satisfactory results at the 1-year follow-up, but had unsatisfactory results at the 2-year follow-up.

CONCLUSION: The intraperitoneal hyperthermic double-distilled water perfusion with DDP inhibited the occurrence of ascites in LACA mice bearing cancer cells, and prolonged the lifetime of patients with gastric cancer who had undergone radical gastrectomy.

Determination of β-glucuronidase in human colorectal carcinoma cell lines

AIM: To study the relationship between β-glucuronidase and the invasiveness of human colorectal carcinoma cell lines.

METHODS: Six colorectal carcinoma cell lines, including three well-differentiated (CX1, CCL187, and CCL229) and three poorly differentiated ones (CCL227, CCL228, and Clone A), were analyzed by Fischman’s method to determine the concentration of β-glucuronidase in the medium.

RESULTS: Low levels of β-glucuronidase (activity range: 1.29 to 1.96 μg/106 cells·h) were associated with poor invasiveness. This finding was in contrast to the elevated levels of the enzyme (2.46-3.37 μg/106·h) detected in the medium derived from the more aggressively invasive cells (CCL 227, CCL 228, Clone A, and CCL 229).

CONCLUSION: Highly invasive colorectal carcinoma cells secreted higher levels of β-glucuronidase than the poorly invasive cells. Determination of secreted β-glucuronidase might represent a useful in vitro measurement tool to assess the invasiveness of colorectal carcinoma.

Influence of fever on biliary elements of guinea pigs

AIM: To study the influence of fever on biliary elements and gallstone formation in guinea pigs.

METHODS: Sixty guinea pigs were randomly divided and fed either a lithogenic diet (to induce gallstone formation) or a normal diet (for use as the non-gallstone controls), and each group was then subdivided into fever or non-fever subgroups. The fever condition was induced by subcutaneous injection of boiled non-fat milk (1 mL/kg, once a week for 4 wk). After 45 d, all the animals were euthanized for analysis; however, 36 h prior to euthanasia, the guinea pigs in the fever subgroups were injected subcutaneously with turpentine (1 mL/kg) to maintain the fever condition. Gallbladder lumens were examined and bile samples were analyzed.

RESULTS: Gallstone incidence was highest (40%, 6/15) in the group of animals that were fed the lithogenic diet and had fever. Compared to the non-fever subgroups, the fever subgroups had significantly higher total bile protein and bilirubin.

CONCLUSION: Fever influences biliary elements and may contribute to gallstone formation in guinea pigs.

Establishment and application of an experimental model of human fetal hepatocytes for investigation of the protective effects of silybin and polyporus umbellalus polysaccharides

AIM: To establish a new experimental model system of human fetal hepatocytes to study the mechanisms underlying the protective effect of silybin and polyporus umbellalus polysaccharides (PSP) on the cellular ultrastructure.

METHODS: Human fetal hepatocytes were obtained from the liver of a human fetus that resulted from a medically necessary induced labor; the mother provided informed consent for sampling, experimental use and publication of findings. The hepatocytes were cultured and then pretreated with silybin or PSP or without either (control), after which the treated cells were exposed to CCl₄ for 4 h. Changes in cellular ultrastructure were observed by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, and changes in alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were assayed.

RESULTS: Levels of ALT and AST were significantly decreased, and level of SOD was elevated in the two pretreatment groups following CCl₄ exposure, as compared to the control group. The cellular integrity and ultrastructure were well preserved in the two pretreatment groups but were seriously damaged in the control group.

CONCLUSION: The CCl₄-induced hepatotoxic cell model system of human fetal hepatocytes is an effective tool for studying the hepatoprotective effect of drugs and may be applicable for studies to screen medicines for treatment of hepatitis.

Seropharmalogical effects of Fuzheng Huayu decoction on rat Ito cell morphology and function in culture

AIM: To investigate the mechanisms of anti-liver fibrosis actions of Fuzheng Huayu (FZHY) decoction, which acts to strengthen the body’s resistance and promote blood circulation.

METHODS: Ito cells were isolated from rats and cultured. Serum samples were collected from healthy (normal) rats after administration of FZHY decoction and added to the subcultured cells. The effects of FZHY decoction on the Ito cells were investigated by contrast microscopy (to observe cell morphology), [³H]Pro incorporation assay (cell viability), [³H]TdR incorporation and MTT colorimetric assay (cell proliferation), and [³H]Pro incorporation and collagenase digestion (collagen synthesis rate).

RESULTS: The rat sera samples from rats treated with FZHY decoction had no influence on Ito cell morphology, but improved cell viability and markedly inhibited cell proliferation and collagen synthesis. The magnitude of these effects showed dependence on treatment dosage and drug concentration in serum.

CONCLUSION: The seropharmalogical method can be efficiently used to investigate the pharmacological mechanism of anti-fibrotic traditional Chinese herbs and formulae. Inhibition of Ito cell proliferation and collagen synthesis may be two of the major mechanisms underlying the anti-fibrosis actions of the FZHY decoction.

Anti-human AFP variant monoclonal antibody in radioimmunodetection of primary hepatocellular carcinoma

AIM: To investigate the affinity of AFP-R-LCA monoclonal antibody (AFP-R-LCA McAb) for AFP-positive primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells.

METHODS: AFP-R-LCA McAb was labeled by ¹³¹I. Eleven cases of HCC with AFP positivity, 6 with AFP negativity, and 4 with hepatitis B-related cirrhosis were investigated by radioimmunodetection.

RESULTS: The ¹³¹I-AFP-R-LCA McAb immunoreacted with 9 of the HCC AFP-positive cases (9/11), but with none of the 6 AFP negative HCC cases or of the 4 cirrhosis patients. ¹³¹I-AFP-R-LCA McAb at a small dose (7.4 × 10⁷ Bq/300 μg) was associated with no side effects as determined by the liver function test, prothrombin time (Pt) test and thyroid gland function test (P > 0.05). Two cases of AFP-positive HCC were not imaged because of large tumor size (diameter > 10 cm) and higher AFP concentration in serum (20000 μg/L).

CONCLUSION: AFP-R-LCA McAb has a strong and special affinity to AFP-positive HCC cells and may be useful as a carrier for radioimmunodetection and radioimmunotherapy.

Effects of endotoxin on expression of ras, p53 and bcl-2 oncoprotein in hepatocarcinogenesis induced by thioacetamide in rats

AIM

To evaluate the relationship between expression of ras, p53 and bcl-2 gene products and hepatocarcinogenesis since the endotoxemia produced from lipopolysaccharide administration and/or the hypophagocytic state of splenectomy significantly accelerated hepatocarcinogenesis induced by thioacetamide.

METHODS

The hepatocarcinoma model was induced by 6-mo oral intake of 0.03% thioacetamide. During the hepatocarcinoma modeling process, rats were additionally treated with splenectomy and/or lipopolysaccharide administration. The techniques of flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry and immunoelectronmicroscopy were applied for quantitative analysis of the expression of oncogene proteins.

RESULTS

In this model system, overexpression of ras p21 protein mainly occurred in the precancerous cell population or in cells in the early stage of hepatocyte transformation. The levels of ras p21 declined when nuclear DNA aneuploidy increased. Expression of bcl-2 protein slowly and steadily rose, with more hepatocytes staying in S + G2M phases, as the hepatocarcinoma became more malignant. p53 was moderately expressed during hepatocarcinogenesis. There was no statistical correlation between endotoxemia levels and the changes in levels of ras, p53 and bcl-2 gene products.

CONCLUSION

Overexpression of oncogene ras p21 was considered likely to be a precursor of premalignant hepatocytes and possibly as responsible for the initiation of hepatocarcinogenesis. Bcl-2 protein expression is proportional to the severity of malignancy in hepatocarcinogenesis. p53 may be involved in a key pathway underlying the transformation and development processes of hepatocarcinoma. This study confirmed the hypothesis that there are multiple genes and multiple steps involved in hepatocarcinogenesis. Expression of oncogene proteins reflects the properties of the premalignant and malignant cells, but is not directly related to endotoxemia statistically.