Diethylnitrosamine (DENA) recapitulates formation of hepatic angiosarcoma in pigs

Induction of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Conventional Domestic Swine Using N-Diethylnitrosamine and Phenobarbital

Purpose

Large animal models are still used in many studies because of their likeness to humans. It has not been documented that regular-sized conventional farm-breed pigs, generally bred for meat production, can be used to generate hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) animal models. The goal of this study was to investigate how N-diethylnitrosamine (DENA) and phenobarbital (PB) together can generate HCC in ordinary farmed pigs.

Materials and Methods

Conventional domestic swine (Sus scrofa domesticus) were used. DENA 15 mg/kg was intraperitoneally injected weekly for 12 weeks, while PB tablets (4 mg/kg) were also administered through food for 16 weeks. Blood testing and ultrasonography evaluation were performed to monitor the progress. Subsequently, computed tomography was conducted in cases with suspected nodules, followed by histopathological examination to confirm the diagnosis.

Results

Ten swine (seven males, three females; age: 2 months; weight: 9-15 kg) were included in the study and followed up for 25 months; nine were experimental, and one was control for ethical considerations. The maximum weight of animals during this study reached 162-228 kg. The weight gain seen in the intervention swine was predominantly lower than that documented in the control. The laboratory analysis revealed no notable abnormalities in liver function markers but did demonstrate statistically significant changes in urea (p = 0.028) and creatinine (p = 0.003) levels. Ultrasonography and computed tomography showed multiple liver nodules with characteristics resembling HCC. Serial imaging screening and more extended observations revealed that all animals eventually developed tumors. Histopathological confirmation at 15-22 weeks post-induction revealed that all intervened swine developed multiple nodules of well-differentiated HCC and some with hepatic angiosarcoma.

Conclusion

This study successfully generated HCC in conventional domestic swine with a DENA and PB combination. This investigation required at least 15 months to develop tumors. This model will be beneficial for future investigations of HCC in large animals.

Current progress of pig models for liver cancer research

Preclinical trials play critical roles in assessing the safety and efficiency of novel therapeutic strategies for human diseases including live cancer. However, most therapeutic strategies that were proved to be effective in preclinical cancer models failed in human clinical trials due to the lack of appropriate disease animal models. Therefore, it is of importance and urgent to develop a precise animal model for preclinical cancer research. Liver cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers with low 5-year survival rate. Recently, porcine attracted increasing attentions as animal model in biomedical research. Porcine liver cancer model may provide a promising platform for biomedical research due to their similarities to human being in body size, anatomical characteristics, physiology and pathophysiology. In this review, we comprehensively summarized and discussed the advantages and disadvantages, rationale, current status and progress of pig models for liver cancer research.

The antitumour effect of galangin and luteolin with doxorubicin on chemically induced hepatocellular carcinoma in rats

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a highly malignant tumour with very high morbidity and mortality, remains the second cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Galangin is a naturally occurring flavonoid extracted from the propolis and root of Alpinia officinarum, which possesses antitumour efficacy, which has resulted in an increase in interest in related research. Additionally, galangin inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis in several human malignancies. On the other hand, luteolin, a naturally occurring flavonoid found in a variety of edible plants, augments cytotoxicity in different cancer cells through the inhibition of cell-survival pathways and activation of apoptosis. Moreover, luteolin blocks the activity of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family members. The present study aimed to assess the antitumour effect of galangin and luteolin in combination and the antitumour effect of a combination of galangin and luteolin together with doxorubicin (DOX) in a chemically induced HCC rat model. Our analyses demonstrated that the combination treatment with galangin, luteolin, and DOX showed the greatest antineoplastic activity against HCC, which was observed by significant decreases in the levels of HCC markers, including serum α-fetoprotein-L3, and hepatic tissue expression of both glypican 3 and heat shock proteins. On the other hand, the hepatic tissue expression of caspase-3 was significantly increased. These results suggest that combination treatment with galangin and luteolin is a promising candidate for clinical use in HCC chemotherapy, especially when used in combination with DOX.