ACCUMULATION OF PRODUCTS OF LIPID-PEROXIDATION IN SPONTANEOUS LIVER-TUMORS OF C3H HEN MICE - ESTABLISHMENT OF HISTOCHEMICAL STAINING OF PEROXIDES/

To study the implication of oxidative stress in liver tumors, quantita tive analysis of products of lipid peroxidation, which are reactants o f 2-thiobarbituric acid (TEA) in the TEA method, was carried out in bo th neoplastic and intact liver tissues of C3H/HeN mice. All liver tumo rs were derived spontaneously at the age of 15-18 months. We found tha t TEA value in neoplastic foci was increased about 10-fold higher than that in intact liver counterparts. Moreover, antioxidant activities s uch as catalase, glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase were all decreased in neoplastic foci in comparison with those in respectiv e intact liver counterparts. We also established a histochemical metho d to detect peroxides and applied this method to the liver tumors. Per oxides were stained abundantly in the vacuolated cells of neoplastic f oci. Fragments of condensed peroxides were occasionally seen in some v acuolated cells. Therefore, peroxide staining described here should be useful to identify the localization of peroxides in the tissues.