Sequential histopathology and cell kinetic changes in rat pyloric mucosa during gastric carcinogenesis induced by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine

The effect of administration of N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) at a dose level of 83 mg/liter in the drinking water was followed in the pyloric mucosae of male noninbred Wistar rats. Autoradiographic studies were done on animals killed after 10, 15, 26, and 36 weeks of treatment. In the normal-appearing mucosae of the rats treated with MNNG for 10 weeks, the number of epithelial cells per pit column was significantly increased over that in control rats. Simultaneously, a shift in the major zone of epithelial cell proliferation was noted in the treated rats. Along with the formation of a longer pit in MNNG-treated rats, the greatest number of DNA-synthesizing cells was displaced from the middle third of the pit in a downward direction toward the muscularis mucosa. In addition, at this early experimental time period, pits lined with more immature, cuboidal, mucus-depleted cells were recognizable. These pits not only had higher labeling indices than normal-appearing pits of the same animals but also expressed a dual nature with increased proliferative activity extending either upward to the luminal surface or further in a downward direction. Focal areas of cellular atypism were present by week 10 of treatment with a threefold to sevenfold greater DNA synthesis activity than that found in the normal-appearing mucosa of the same animal. A wide range of values in proliferative activity was found not only among invasive pyloric tumors within the same animal but also within different areas of the same tumor. The mechanism for the formation of adenomas and invasive adenocarcinomas is believed to be related to the dual character of the hyperplastic pits described.