ラットにおけるコリン欠乏アミノ酸食により誘発された肝結節性肥大と肝細胞癌におけるテロメラーゼ活性

Abstract

Telomerase activities in hyperplastic nodules and hepatocellular car- cinomas (HCCs) induced by a choline deficient L-amino acid defined (CDAA) diet were examined by TRAP assay in rats. Male F 334 rats, 6 weeks old, received a CDAA diet for 10, 50 or 75 weeks. Hyperplastic nodules and HCCs were noted in rats fed a CDAA diet for 50 and 75 weeks, respectively. As a control, normal livers from 6 week old rats were obtained. Normal liver and background parenchyma of rats fed either of the diets for 10 weeks or 50 weeks showed weak telomerase activities. In contrast, markedly increased telomerase activities were found in hyperplastic nodules and HCCs. These results suggest that increased telomerase activity may be one biological phenomenon of preneoplastic lesions for evolution to HCCs in rat liver.