The resistance of spontaneous mouse hepatocellular neoplasms to iron accumulation during rapid iron loading by parenteral administration and their transplantability.

Spontaneous mouse liver nodules were found to be resistant to iron accumulation induced either by dietary overload or by a rapid protocol of subcutaneous injection of iron dextran. Transplants of 11 liver nodules into the mammary fat pad gave rise to neoplastic growth. Transplants of the less differentiated nodules grew more frequently and rapidly than better differentiated nodules and produced pulmonary metastases. Therefore, these mouse liver nodules are considered to be neoplasms, and their resistance to iron accumulation suggests that this marker will be useful in studying their histogenesis.