Instability of microsatellites in rat colon tumors induced by heterocyclic amines

Microsatellite instability in rat colon tumors induced by heterocyclic amines was examined by studies on the lengths of 85 microsatellite sequences, covering most of the rat chromosomes in tumors and normal tissues. Seven of eight colon tumors induced by 2-amino-1-methyl-6- phenylimidazo-[4,5-b]pyridine showed alterations at least at one locus of microsatellite sequences, whereas no mutations were observed in colon tumors induced by 2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline. Three 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo-[4,5-b]pyridine-induced colon tumors had mutations in more than one microsatellite, their mutation rates being 2 of 85, 2 of 85, and 3 of 85 allele/mircrosatellite sequence, respectively. These data suggest that rat colon adenocarcinomas induced by 2-amino-1-methyl-6- phenylimidazo-[4,5-b]pyridine but not 2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f] quinoline show a trait of microsatellite instability. This is the first systematic study of microsatellite instability in experimental animal models of carcinogenesis.