Intrahepatic polyamine levels during rat liver carcinogenesis induced by N-2-fluorenylacetamide

During a period of 200 days, the chronological changes of polyamine levels (putrescine, spermidine and spermine) were observed in the liver of adult female Sprague Dawley rats submitted to hepatocarcinogenesis by N-2-fluorenylacetamide (FAA). Three groups of 70 rats each were used: (1) Control 1: normal diet; (2) Control 2: low protein and low riboflavin diet; and (3) EXPERIMENTAL: 0.06% FAA added to the diet. No significant differences were noted for tissue levels of the three polyamines when the two control groups were compared. In contrast, considerable variations of these molecules were observed as a function of time in the FAA treated group: (a) an early and constant rise was seen in putrescine, with 3 maxima at days 10, 60 and 150. This last peak was the highest: 25 +/- 6 nmol/g (8 times the value for the controls at this time), and coincided with the appearance of cancerous lesions. (b) While spermidine levels varied during the experiment, no significant differences were noted in comparison with the control groups. Mean levels (nmol/g) were: 535 +/- 108 Control 1; 552 +/- 95 Control 2; 633 +/- 160 FAA-treated group. (c) Spermine levels were significantly lowered, with 3 minima corresponding to the putrescine maxima. The lowest minima was observed on day 60: 114 +/- 67 nmol/g, i.e., 4 times lower than the controls. This work shows that polyamine metabolism is profoundly modified during chemical carcinogenesis, but the possible effect of polyamines on tumorigenesis itself cannot be assessed at this point since modifications of polyamine levels are probably also associated with phenomena of liver necrosis and compensatory tissue proliferation observed during the experiment.