No abstract

Different labeling methods for quantitating cell proliferation were evaluated in livers and kidneys of control and chemically treated mice and rats. The percentage of cells in S-phase (labeling indices) were compared in tissues of animals given either 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BRDU) or [3H]thymidine. These DNA precursor labels were delivered either by a single i.p. injection 2 h prior to killing the animals or via the s.c. implanted osmotic pump for 3 or 6 days. B6C3F1 mice and male F344 rats were exposed to either a peroxisome proliferator and hepatocarcinogen, Wy-14,643 (WY), in the diet at 0.1% for up to 5 days, or a non-genotoxic mouse liver and male rat kidney carcinogen, 1,4-dichlorobenzene (DCB), in corn oil by gavage for up to 5 days in mice (600 mg/kg/day) or up to 3 weeks in rats (300 mg/kg/day, 5 days per week). Labeling indices (LIs) in the liver and kidney were similar in BRDU- and [3H]thymidine-labeled mice and rats. Cell proliferation was increased in livers of both species of WY- and DCB-treated animals when compared to controls. After 4 days of chemical treatment with continuous administration of a DNA precursor label during the last 3 days of treatment, LIs in controls, DCB- and WY-treated mouse livers were 0.7, 19 and 17% for BRDU and 0.9, 15 and 13% for [3H]-thymidine respectively. Furthermore, BRDU and [3H]-thymidine labeled the same population of cells as revealed by similar patterns of cell labeling in the livers and kidneys of treated animals. The LI for BRDU- and [3H]thymidine-labeled renal proximal tubular cells was 7.7 and 8.0% respectively, in rats receiving DCB for 4 days and DNA precursor label during the last 3 days of treatment, while the LI for controls was 4.3 and 3.7% respectively. The renal proximal tubular cell LI increased to 11% in BRDU-labeled rats treated with DCB for 3 weeks. LIs in both liver and kidney were greatest in control and treated animals that received the DNA precursor label via osmotic pumps for 6 days, and least in 2 h pulse-labeled animals. However, induction of hepatic LI in treated over control animals was greatest for treated animals labeled for 3 days. These results demonstrate comparable cell labeling of cells in S-phase with either BRDU and [3H]thymidine labeling methods. BRDU presents no radioactive containment problems, and results are obtained more rapidly than [3H]thymidine.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

1,4-Dichlorobenzene (DCB), a non-DNA-reactive compound, induced hepatocellular carcinomas at 600 mg/kg/day, but not 300 mg/kg/day in male and female B6C3F1 mice in a National Toxicology Program (NTP) bioassay. Cell proliferation studies were performed under conditions of the NTP bioassay to determine the mode of DCB-induced hepatocellular proliferation and whether this proliferative response may be related to the carcinogenic activity of DCB. The percentage of cells in S-phase (labeling index; LI) was measured using immunohistochemical detection of 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine. Time-course and dose-response studies revealed a sharp increase in LI 24 h after treatment in female mice and rats, and at 48 h in male mice with no increases in liver-associated plasma enzymes at up to twice the highest bioassay dose. During 13 weeks of DCB administration under bioassay conditions, a statistically significant transient peak of hepatocellular proliferation was observed during week 1 at 600 mg/kg/day, but not at 300 mg/kg/day, in male and female mice. Hepatocellular proliferation was also observed in female rats, which were reported as exhibiting no increased liver tumor incidence when compared to controls in the NTP bioassay. An increase in liver weight as a percentage of body weight compared to controls was observed in high dose male and female mice, and female rats at all time points. No significant elevations in liver-associated plasma enzymes were found at any time point, indicating a lack of overt hepatotoxicity. Histopathological evaluation revealed no evidence of hepatocellular necrosis in all groups. These data indicate an early mitogenic stimulation of cell proliferation, rather than regeneration secondary to cytolethality, in the livers of DCB-treated mice, which correlates with previously observed tumor formation in a dose-dependent manner. The mode by which a chemical induces cell proliferation is an important consideration in mechanistic studies and the risk assessment process. The demonstrated mitogenic activity of DCB raises the possibility that this early proliferative response may be sufficient for liver tumor formation in the B6C3F1 mouse, or that DCB may provide a selective growth advantage to preneoplastic cells in the mouse liver upon long-term treatment. The observed induction of cell proliferation by DCB in the rat in the absence of a tumorigenic response suggests important species differences and complexities in the relationship between cell proliferation and carcinogenesis, and indicates that caution be applied in equating cell proliferation to cancer.

Naveglitazar, a γ-dominant peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) α/γ dual agonist, was tested for carcinogenicity in F344 rats in a 2-year study. Changes in urine composition and urothelial morphology were characterized in a companion 18-month investigative study. A significant increase in neoplasms of the bladder occurred only in females of the high-dose group (14/60) in the carcinogenicity study. Trends toward increased cell proliferation in the urothelium were noted in both sexes at all time points evaluated in the 18-month study. Group means for urothelial mitogenesis were increased statistically significantly only in high-dose females at 12 and 18 months. Urothelial hyperplasia occurred in high-dose females at 18 months. Morphologic changes in the urothelium at earlier time points were limited to hypertrophy and decreased immunolabeling of the superficial cells for cytokeratin 20 (a marker of terminal differentiation in urothelial cells) in both males and females. No treatment-related changes in urinary parameters, including urinary sediments, were associated with the occurrence of urothelial proliferation. Urinary pH was unaffected by treatment in both males and females, but expected diurnal changes were demonstrated. Collectively, these data indicate that naveglitazar was associated with hypertrophic and proliferative effects on the urothelium, but a link with changes in urinary parameters was not demonstrated.

Two different markers for quantitating cell proliferation were evaluated in livers of control and chemically treated mice and rats. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), an endogenous cell replication marker, and bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU), an exogenously administered DNA precursor label, were detected in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues using immunohisto-chemical techniques. The percentage of cells in S phase (labeling indexes, LI) evaluated as PCNA-or BrdU-positive hepatocellular nuclei was compared in recut tissue sections from animals given BrdU by a single IP injection 2 hr before killing the animals. Ten-week-old male B6C3F, mice and F344 rats were exposed to known mitogenic hepatocarcinogens, Wy-14,643 (WY) in the diet at 0.1% for 2 days or 1,4-dichlorobenzene (DCB) in corn oil by gavage for 2 days (600 mg/kg/day in mice; 300 mg/kg/day in rats). In mice, PCNA and BrdU hepatocyte LI were similar in control, WY-treated, and DCB-treated animals. In rats, PCNA and BrdU gave similar LI in controls and Wy-treated animals. Although PCNA LI was statistically lower than BrdU LI in DCB-treated rats, both PCNA and BrdU LI for DCB-treated rats was increased over LI in control rats. Different patterns of PCNA immunohistochemical staining, interpreted to represent different subpopulations of cells at various phases of the cell cycle, were quantitated using PCNA immunohistochemistry. The proliferating index (PI), defined as the percentage of cells in the cell cycle (GI + S + G2 + M), was more sensitive than the LI (S phase only) in detecting a chemically induced cell proliferative response. Due to reports of adverse effects of BrdU on cell proliferation , PCNA immunohistochemical methods were used to determine the effect of duration of exogenously administered DNA precursor label (BrdU or [3H]-thymidine [3H-TdRl) on rodent hepatocyte proliferation measurements. PCNA LI were determined in control animals pulse labeled with BrdU or 3H-Tdr, or labeled continuously for 3 or 6 days. PCNA LI did not increase with duration of exposure to BrdU or 3H-Tdr, suggesting that these labeling conditions are not causing a hepatocellular proliferative response. These results demonstrate comparable hepato-cyte labeling of cells in S phase in control and chemically treated mice and rats with PCNA and pulse-BrdU labeling methods, supporting the use of PCNA as an alternative marker in either retrospective or prospective cell proliferation studies.