Changes in poly (A) + RNA translational pattern during chemically induced hepatocarcinogenesis

Hepatocarcinoma was induced by administration of diethylnitrosamine to rats. The rats were sacrificed 70 weeks after the administration and the carcinoma nodules were separated from the perinodular parenchymental cells after perfusion of liver with collagenase. The in vitro translational pattern of mRNAs from hepatocellular carcinomas, from perinodular hepatocytes and from regenerating liver after partial hepatectomy were compared by one- and two-dimensional electrophoreses to the pattern obtained with RNA from normal hepatocytes. An increased synthesis of several peptides was observed with RNAs from carcinoma and from regenerating liver and to a lesser extent with RNA from perinodular hepatocytes, which suggests that the increase in synthesis is at least partly related to cell proliferation. A decreased synthesis of several other peptides was observed with RNA from carcinoma nodules and to a lesser extent with RNA from perinodular hepatocytes, but not with RNA from regenerating liver, which suggests that this decrease in synthesis is related to some transformation specific process. These changes are observed as soon as 22 weeks after carcinogen administration. These observations also suggest that at least part of the perinodular hepatocytes have some characteristics of the transformed cells.