AGNOR MARK EPITHELIAL FOCI IN MALIGNANT TRANSFORMATION IN HAMSTER-CHEEK POUCH CARCINOGENESIS

Hamster cheek pouch mucosa is an accepted model of oral carcinogenesis . We herein examined the value of morphometric evaluation of silver-st ained nucleolar organizer regions (AgNOR) in the detection of epitheli al foci in malignant transformation following dimethyl-1,2-benzanthrac ene-induced carcinogenesis of hamster cheek pouch. AgNOR-related param eters were analyzed at different stages of the process of carcinogenes is (control epithelium, epithelium with no unusual microscopic feature s, ''dysplastic'' epithelium, exophytic and endophytic carcinomas). Mo rphometric evaluation of AgNOR revealed incipient cellular alterations which were not evident in routine preparations and contributed to the characterization of different stages of carcinogenesis in this model.