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The effects of antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs on the promotion stage of lung carcinogenesis initiated with N-nitrosobis(2-hydroxypropyl)amine (BHP) in rats were investigated in two experiments with a similar protocol. In experiment 1, rats received tap water containing 2000 p.p.m. BHP for 12 weeks followed by basal diet or basal diet containing 0.02% erythromycin (EM), 0. 04% ampicillin (ABPC), 1.5% sho-saiko-to, 0.02% EM plus 1.5% sho-saiko-to or 0.04% ABPC plus 1.5% sho-saiko-to for 8 weeks after BHP administration. The development of adenocarcinomas (AC), squamous cell carcinomas (SqC) and adenosquamous carcinomas (ASqC) was completely inhibited in rats given ABPC plus sho-saiko-to and the numbers of lung lesions including alveolar hyperplasias, adenomas and carcinomas were decreased in rats given EM plus sho-saiko-to or ABPC plus sho-saiko-to. Neutrophil and macrophage infiltration into alveolar spaces of the lung were also markedly suppressed. In experiment 2, rats received BHP in the same manner as in experiment 1 and basal diet or basal diet containing 0.04% ABPC, 0.006% piroxicam, 0.04% ABPC plus 0.006% piroxicam and 0.04% ABPC plus 0.75% ougon for 8 weeks. The incidence and number of carcinomas, including ACs, SqCs and ASqCs were decreased in rats given ABPC plus piroxicam or ABPC plus ougon. Bacteria, mainly Escherichia coli, were detected in broncho-alveolar lavage of rats receiving BHP. The results suggest that chronic inflammation might be involved in the progression of lung carcinogenesis by BHP in rats and its suppression may therefore be useful as a chemopreventive strategy in lung cancer clinics.

The expression of the transin, c-fos, and c-jun genes was assessed in transplantable osteosarcomas and malignant fibrous histiocytomas, as well as in pancreatic duct adenocarcinomas and hepatocellular carcinomas of rats and hamsters. Northern blot analysis revealed that both an undifferentiated osteosarcoma of spontaneous origin (SOS) and 4-hydroxyaminoquinoline 1-oxide (4-HAQO)-induced malignant fibrous histiocytomas with metastatic potential to the lung showed remarkably increased expression of transin mRNA transcripts. This was not the case for the other tumors. Interestingly, levels of transin mRNA were lower in lung metastatic lesions than in primary subcutaneous SOS tumors. The primary SOS and MFH expressed both c-fos and c-jun genes in conjunction with the transin gene, whereas the non-transin expressers, a 4-HAQO-induced osteosarcoma (COS) and the pancreatic duct adenocarcinomas, demonstrated one or the other, but not both. These results suggest a possible involvement of transin expression in the progression of spontaneous osteosarcomas and 4-HAQO-induced malignant fibrous histiocytomas in rats. Expression of the c-fos and c-jun genes may play a regulatory role in this process.

We have previously reported on the induction of rat malignant fibrous histiocytomas by 4-hydroxiaminoquinoline 1-oxide. The present study describes cell number- and time-related formation of metastatic lung nodules after i.v. injection of cell suspensions containing various numbers (10(3) to 10(5)/ml) of myxoid or giant-cell subtype malignant fibrous histiocytoma cells. The metastatic potential of the myxoid subtype of rat malignant fibrous histiocytoma was significantly enhanced by i.v. injection of tumor cells selected from metastatic lung nodules and was further increased by repeating the selection procedure more than 7 times. In contrast, the growth activity of subcutaneous transplants of tumor fragments obtained from metastatic lung nodules derived from myxoid subtype did not differ from that of parent malignant fibrous histiocytomas.

Both spontaneous (SOS) and 4-hydroxyaminoquinoline 1-oxide (4-HAQO)-induced osteosarcomas (COS) could be serially transplanted in the subcutaneous back space of syngeneic F344 rats, the success rate becoming 100% within 5 passage generations. Transplanted tumors demonstrated rapid growth and displayed high potential for metastasis to the lung in later generations. Thus, a 100% lung metastasis rate was observed for SOS after the 20th and for COS after the 14th generation. The histological features of the primary SOS and COS were retained during serial transfer. These model systems should be useful for investigation of the biology of this very important tumor type.

Immunohistochemical staining using anti-rat glutathione S-transferase placental form (GST-P) rabbit antibody and enzyme histochemical staining for gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (gamma-GT) were investigated in lesions appearing during lung carcinogenesis induced by N-nitrosobis(2-hydroxypropyl)amine (BHP) in rats. Rats were given BHP at a concentration of 2000 p.p.m. in drinking water, and were killed after 12 weeks of BHP intake, after 12 weeks of BHP intake followed by 12 weeks of tap water intake or after 20 weeks of continuous BHP intake. It was found that bronchiolo-alveolar hyperplasias, adenomas, adenocarcinomas, squamous metaplasias and squamous cell carcinomas had been induced by BHP. All of the squamous metaplasias and squamous cell carcinomas were shown to stain with GST-P but not with gamma-GT. On the other hand, the hyperplasias, adenomas and adeno-carcinomas stained with gamma-GT to various degrees and in different areas, but did not stain with GST-P. The incidence of gamma-GT phenotype and the average percentage of gamma-GT-positive areas in hyperplasias and adenomas suggested that adenocarcinomas might develop from hyperplasias and adenomas. These results suggest that GST-P is a marker for squamous lesions while gamma-GT is a marker for adenomatous lesions in rat lung carcinogenesis. Furthermore, squamous metaplasias appear to be preneoplastic lesions of squamous cell carcinomas while gamma-GT-positive hyperplasias or adenomas are preneoplastic lesions of peripheral adenocarcinomas.