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Biochemical features of spontaneous hepatic tumors in C3H mice were studied histochemically in comparison with those of neoplastic lesions developed in animals fed dietary phenobarbital (PB) continuously or treated with diethylnitrosamine (DEN) during 11 approximately 14 weeks of age. All 42 spontaneous hepatic tumors that developed in control mice by 74 weeks of age were completely negative for gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma-GTPase) activity. Dietary phenobarbital enhanced hepatic tumorigenesis remarkably, and 32 out of 43 tumors found at 70 weeks showed multifocal gamma-GTPase activity. DEN induced gamma-GTPase-positive islands of hepatocytes, but 12 out of 13 tumors larger than 5 mm in diameter that developed by 60 weeks were gamma-GTPase-negative. The phenomenon of induction of gamma-GTPase activity by PB in "spontaneous" hepatic tumors appears to be important both for elucidating the mechanism of promotion by PB and also for analyzing multisteps of carcinogenesis.

The modifying potential of 31 different compounds on the development of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase-positive (gamma-GT+) liver cell lesions was compared in an in vivo short-term assay system. Rats were initially given a single dose (200 mg/kg) of diethylnitrosamine intraperitoneally and 2 weeks later were treated with test compounds for 6 weeks and then sacrificed, all rats being subjected to partial hepatectomy at week 3. Modifying potential was scored by comparing the number and area (mm2)/cm2 of induced gamma-GT+ foci with those of the corresponding control group given DEN alone. 2-Acetylaminofluorene, 3'-methyl-4-dimethylaminoazobenzene, dimethylnitrosamine, phenobarbital, barbital, dipyrone and deoxycholic acid caused a significant enhancement of both the number and area of foci. 4-Acetylaminofluorene, ethionine, benzo[alpha]pyrene, disulfiram and cholic acid had a moderate enhancing effect, whereas slight, but not unequivocal, increases in gamma-GT+ foci were observed after captafol, glutathione, sodium ascorbate and taurine administration. In contrast, acetaminophen, ethoxyquin, butylated hydroxyanisole, butylated hydroxytoluene, and ethyl alcohol showed clear inhibitory effects. It is concluded that the present short-term in vivo system has practical application for the screening of modifying agents for liver tumorigenesis including hepatocarcinogens.

The activities of pyrolysis products for initiating or promoting preneoplastic lesions were tested. In experimental series I, N-2-fluorenylacetamide (2-FAA) was used as an initiator or a promoter and 3-amino-1,4-dimethyl-5H-pyrido-[4, 3-b] indole (Trp-P-1), 3-amino-1-methyl-5H-pyrido [4, 3-b] indole (Try-P-2), 2-amino-6-methyldipyrido [1,2-a:3', 2'-d] imidazole (Glu-P-1) or 2-amino-dipyrido [1, 2-a:3', 2'] imidazole (Glu-P-2) was administered at a fixed dose and for the same period in the initiation stage or the promotion stage. Animals were subjected to partial hepatectomy or treated with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) to increase the induction of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma-GT) positive foci. Trp-P-1 and Glu-P-2 administered in either the initiation or promotion stage significantly increased the induction of gamma-GT positive foci (p less than 0.001). Glu-P-1 increased the induction of gamma-GT positive foci (P less than 0.001) when administered in the initiation stage but it was not effective when administered during the promotion stage. In experimental series II, animals were given a single dose of these chemicals at one of three different dose levels with partial hepatectomy and then were fed with 2-FAA and given a single dose of CCl4. Trp-P-1, Glu-P-1 and Glu-P-2 caused dose-dependent inductions of gamma-GT positive foci.

The promoting effects of 5 bile acids on liver carcinogenesis were investigated in male Fischer rats initially treated with diethylnitrosamine (DEN). Two weeks after a single dose of DEN (200 mg/kg, intraperitoneally), rats were given bile acids for 8 weeks. At 3 weeks following DEN administration, all rats were subjected to partial hepatectomy. Among the bile acids tested, cholic acid (CA) and deoxycholic acid (DCA) exerted promoting activity as evidenced by significantly increased values of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase-positive (gamma-GT+) foci as compared with the corresponding controls given DEN alone. In contrast, the other 3 bile acids tested, chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA), lithocholic acid (LCA) and ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), did not significantly increase the level of gamma-GT+ foci over that induced by DEN alone. It is noteworthy that only bile acids of the same metabolic pathway, CA as a primary bile acid and DCA as a secondary bile acid, showed promoting effects whereas CDCA and its metabolic derivatives, LCA and UDCA, were inactive. The results indicate that CA and DCA might act as endogenous promoters of hepatocarcinogenesis in pathological conditions with increased levels of serum bile acids.