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Japanese Journal of Cancer Research : Gann logoLink to Japanese Journal of Cancer Research : Gann
. 1995 Aug;86(8):718–723. doi: 10.1111/j.1349-7006.1995.tb02459.x

Hepatocyte Growth Factor Enhancement of Preneoplastic Hepatic Foci Development in Rats Treated with Diethylnitrosamine and N‐Ethyl‐N‐hydroxyethylnitrosamine

Makoto Yaono 1, Ryohei Hasegawa 1,✉, Yasumoto Mizoguchi 1, Mitsuru Futakuchi 1, Toshikazu Nakamura 2, Nobuyuki Ito 1, Tomoyuki Shirai 1
PMCID: PMC5920913  PMID: 7559093

Abstract

Effects of hepatocyte growth factor were investigated in a two‐stage rat liver carcinogenesis protocol. Male F344 rats were first treated with diethylnitrosamine (200 mg/kg, i.p.) and then, starting two weeks later, with N‐ethyl‐N‐hydroxyethylnitrosamine (EHEN) for 6 weeks at a dose of 0.01% in drinking water. Hepatocyte growth factor, which was injected i.v. at a dose of 200 μg/kg body weight one (at week 3) or two times (at weeks 3 and 4) during EHEN administration, significantly increased the development of preneoplastic glutathione S‐transferase placental form‐positive foci. Although the observed effects of hepatocyte growth factor were weaker than that of the two‐thirds partial hepatectomy (PH) performed at week 3, the present results suggest that the enhancing effects of PH performed during the promotion stage may be largely mediated through induction of hepatocyte growth factor.

Keywords: Hepatocyte growth factor, Liver carcinogenesis, GST‐P‐positive foci, Rat

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