The effect of deferoxamine on the preneoplastic lesions in the chemically induced hepatocarcinogenesis

Iron is essential for the growth of all living cells. One of the most important intracellular roles of iron is the activation of ribonucleotide reductase, which is indispensible to the production of deoxyribonucleotide necessary for DNA synthesis. Deferoxamine (DFO) is an iron chelating agent and has been known to have an antiproliferative effect in various malignant cells including hepatocellular carcinoma and the effect seems to be related to depletion of iron. This study was undertaken to investigate the effect of DFO on preneoplastic lesions in chemically induced hepatocarcinogenesis. The resistant hepatocyte model was used and Sprague Dawley rats were divided into the following groups; I: normal control, II: carcinogen administered group, III: carcinogen and DFO administered group. Rats were sacrificed at 3 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, 4 weeks and 8 weeks after partial hepatectomy (PH). DFO (50 mg/kg/day, I.P.) was daily injected from 3 weeks before administration of carcinogen to the time when rats were sacrificed. Hepatic iron content was higher in group II than in group III, especially at 3 days and 1 week after PH. Hyperplastic lesions of resistant hepatocytes were less well developed in group III than in group II. Bromodeoxyuridine labelling indices of oval cells and hyperplastic lesions of resistant hepatocytes were higher in group II than in group III except for rats examined at 3 days after PH. The results suggest that DFO has an antiproliferative effect on preneoplastic lesions in hepatocarcinogenesis and it might be related to reduction of the hepatic iron.

An Image Analytical Study on the Structural Spectrum of Intestinal Metaplasia-Dysplasia-Carcinoma of the Stomach

Intestinal metaplasia and dysplasia of the stomach have been stressed as precursors of gastric carcinoma of the intestinal type, although their preneoplastic nature is still debated. In this study, the cytomorphometric and cytokinetic spectra of the suggested preneoplastic and neoplastic lesions of the stomach were investigated. From the resected stomachs of early gastric carcinoma of intestinal type, areas of normal, intestinal metaplasia, dysplasia, and carcinoma were selected. They were immunostained for proliferating cell nuclear antigen, counterstained with propidium iodide, and various nuclear parameters were measured by image analysis. Normal and intestinal metaplastic mucosae differed by the localization of proliferation zone, but not by nuclear profile area, circular shape factor, and proliferation index. In dysplasia, proliferation zone covered large parts of the dysplastic area. Nuclear profile area and proliferation index were larger whereas circular shape factor was smaller than in normal or intestinal metaplasia. Carcinomatous lesion had diffuse proliferation activity, the largest nuclear profile area and proliferating index, and circular shape factor in-between those of normal or intestinal metaplasia and dysplasia. The above results showed a structural spectrum among normal of intestinal metaplasia, dysplasia, and carcinoma of intestinal type in cytomorphometric and cytokinetic terms. The structural spectrum raises the possibility that dysplasia of the stomach is a preneoplastic lesion.