Mesenchyme-derived factors enhance preneoplastic growth by non-genotoxic carcinogens in rat liver

Many frequently prescribed drugs are non-genotoxic carcinogens (NGC) in rodent liver. Their mode of action and health risks for humans remain to be elucidated. Here, we investigated the impact of two model NGC, the anti-epileptic drug phenobarbital (PB) and the contraceptive cyproterone acetate (CPA), on intrahepatic epithelial-mesenchymal crosstalk and on growth of first stages of hepatocarcinogenesis. Unaltered hepatocytes (HC) and preneoplastic HC (HC_PREN) were isolated from rat liver for primary culture. DNA replication of HC and HC_PREN was increased by in vitro treatment with 10 µM CPA, but not 1 mM PB. Next, mesenchymal cells (MC) obtained from liver of rats treated with either PB (50 mg/kg bw/day) or CPA (100 mg/kg bw/day), were cultured. Supernatants from both types of MC raised DNA synthesis of HC and HC_PREN. This indicates that PB induces replication of HC and HC_PREN only indirectly, via growth factors secreted by MC. CPA, however, acts on HC and HC_PREN directly as well as indirectly via mesenchymal factors. Transcriptomics and bio-informatics revealed that PB and CPA induce extensive changes in the expression profile of MC affecting many growth factors and pathways. MC from PB-treated rats produced and secreted enhanced levels of HBEGF and GDF15, factors found to suppress apoptosis and/or induce DNA synthesis in cultured HC and HC_PREN. MC from CPA-treated animals showed enhanced expression and secretion of HGF, which strongly raised DNA replication of HC and HC_PREN. In conclusion, our findings reveal profound effects of two prototypical NGC on the hepatic mesenchyme. The resulting release of factors, which suppress apoptosis and/or enhance cell replication preferentially in cancer prestages, appears to be crucial for tumor promotion by NGC in the liver.