Immunohistochemical analysis of dichloroacetic acid (DCA)-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in male Fischer (F344) rats.

We examined the incidence of proliferative lesions, hyperplastic nodules and altered hepatic foci, in male F344 rat liver, to determine their preneoplastic potential during dichloroacetic acid (DCA)-induced hepatocarcinogenesis. Immunohistochemical and image analysis methods were used to detect the expression of 6 histochemical markers of neoplastic cells; p21 ras, p39 c-jun, p55 c-fos, aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), glutathione s-transferase (GST-p), and alpha fetoprotein (AFP) during DCA-induced hepatocarcinogenesis. Our results were consistent with our previous data and suggested that the hyperplastic nodules, rather than altered hepatic foci, is a putative preneoplastic lesion during DCA-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in the male F344 rat.