M. Gariboldi et al., Analysis of loss of heterozygosity in neoplastic nodules induced by diethylnitrosamine in the resistant BFF1 rat strain, CARCINOGENE, 20(7), 1999, pp. 1363-1368
Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at specific chromosomal regions is a frequent
event in poorly differentiated human hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs), but
rare in mouse HCCs. This behavior could depend on interspecies differences
in mechanisms of hepatocarcinogenesis or in developmental stage of lesions,
To verify if LOH is involved in rat hepatocarcinogenesis, we studied LOH f
requency in slowly growing neoplastic nodules induced by Solt-Farber model
in diethylnitrosamine-initiated BFF1 rats. We analyzed, with microsatellite
s, markers at 67 rat loci dispersed over all chromosomes, corresponding to
regions homologous to those lost in human HCCs or containing hepatocellular
susceptibility (Hcs) or resistance (Hcr) loci in rat and mouse. In agreeme
nt with previous findings with mouse HCCs, but at variance with human HCCs,
no detectable LOH was found at any locus in rats, suggesting rare LOH invo
lvement in neoplastic nodules, with low tendency to progress to full malign
ancy, of BFF1 rats.