Liver growth and tumorigenesis in rats

Liver enlargement is frequently reported in studies on the short-term toxicity of chemicals. In many such studies no histological evidence of damage is present but biochemically there is often an increased microsomal enzyme activity (MEA) which is interpreted to represent a type of work hypertrophy. In a few instances, the MEA in the enlarged liver is either normal or less than normal. In such instances histochemical evidence of liver damage (depression of G-6-Pase and autophagy) is found. A compound which produced the latter changes is Ponceau MX. When administered for up to 21 months at a dose-level which produces biochemical and histochemical evidence of liver injury, a series of changes were observed consisting of progerssive diminution of MEA, areas of glycogen accumulation and centrilobular fatty change and these were followed first by nodular hyperplasia and then by frank carcinoma. The protective effect of increased MEA in carcinogenesis was shown by the reduction in tumour incidence on the administration of phenobarbitone simultaneously with acetylaminofluorene, 4-dimethyl aminoazo benzene and diethylnitrosamine. But no such protective effect is seen if the phenobarbitone is administered after treatment with these carcinogens. In fact the number of tumours is enhanced presumably due to preferential stimulation of the growth of malignant cells.