Three-dimensional observations by scanning electron microscopy on the blood supply and organization of vasculature during hepatocarcinogenesis in rats.

Three-dimensional vascular changes in rats during hepatocarcinogenesis were studied by stereoscopic and scanning electron microscopic observation of vascular casts of sinusoids by injecting resin from hepatic artery (red color) and portal vein (blue color). Neoplastic lesions were synchronously induced by injection of diethylnitrosamine (DENA) followed by feeding of 2-acetylaminofluorene (2-AAF) plus partial hepatectomy, then periodically killed for examination. At 6 weeks after DENA injection sinusoids of hyperplastic foci (HF) were filled with blue resin similar to surrounding tissue, then at 8 weeks some HF and hyperplastic nodules (HN) took up red resin leaving surrounding sinusoids blue. At 12 to 18 weeks, red HN became more discrete with obvious compression of surroundings but decreased their number whereas blue HN were not. Red HN had incomplete anastomosing sinusoids giving a coral-like appearance. Spongy or cystic areas contained little or no resin, suggesting ischemic condition. Hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) at 40 weeks took exclusively arterial red resin forming irregularly shaped anastomosing sinusoids. These findings indicate that acquisition of arterial blood supply by HF may relate to their further development to persistent HN and HCC.