Abstract
There is some evidence that rodent hepatocarcinogenesis is accompanied by changes in the adrenergic responsiveness of liver cells to catecholamines. In this study, immunohistochemical expression of β1-adrenergic receptors (β1-ARs) has been examined in spontaneous and chemically induced preneoplastic and neoplastic liver lesions of female and male Fischer 344 rats. An antibody specific for β1-AR subtype was used. The study was carried out on archival formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded livers from rats used in a previous study of hepatocarcinogenesis. One control group given distilled water by gavage, and two experimental groups, one initiated with a single dose of diethylnitrosamine (DEN) and one initiated with DEN and continuously treated with phenobarbital (PB) were examined. Rats were sacrificed after 2, 4, 8 and 21 months of experimentation. All types of liver putative preneoplastic lesions examined (basophilic, glycogen-retaining, or mixed cell foci) show a lower density of β1-ARs than the surrounding normal liver parenchyma, either in control and in DEN-treated or DEN+PB-treated rats. No immunostaining is detectable in several altered cell foci. Hepatocellular adenomas and hepatocellular carcinomas also show a very low density of β1-ARs, extensive areas completely devoid of β1-ARs being mingled with areas showing a weak immunostaining.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 843-850 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Histology and Histopathology |
Volume | 20 |
Issue number | 3 |
Publication status | Published - Jul 2005 |
Keywords
- β-adrenoreceptor
- Immunohistochemistry
- Neoplastic lesion
- Preneoplastic lesion
- Rat liver
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Anatomy
- Pathology and Forensic Medicine
- Histology
- Cell Biology