MUTAGENIC DNA-BASE MODIFICATIONS ARE CORRELATED WITH LESIONS IN NONNEOPLASTIC HEPATIC TISSUE OF THE ENGLISH SOLE CARCINOGENESIS MODEL

Hydroxyl radical-induced mutagenic base modifications have been Linked to neoplasia in a number of biological systems, including English sol e from chemically contaminated urban environments, However, virtually no information exists on the relationship between the mutagenic base m odifications and preneoplastic and other lesions found in tumor-free t issues prone to cancer. We studied six hepatic lesions in immature, ne oplasm-free English sole exposed to an urban and reference environment and established correlations between the lesion incidence and concent rations of the mutagenic base modifications 8-hydroxyguanine and 8-hyd roxyadenine. The lesions were putatively preneoplastic basophilic foci , hepatocellular karyomegaly, megalocytic hepatosis, hepatocellular va cuolar change, hyalin droplet formation, and apoptosis. With the excep tion of hepatocellular vacuolar change, significant positive correlati ons were found between the lesions and the mutagenic base modification s, The hydroxyl radical may be a common etiological factor in the form ation of the base modifications and hepatic lesions.