Elevated level of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine in DNA of liver, kidneys, and brain of Long-Evans Cinnamon rats.

Long-Evans Cinnamon (LEC) rats, a mutant strain originating from Long-Evans rats, spontaneously develop hereditary hepatitis followed by hepatocellular carcinoma. The hepatic disorder in LEC rats is associated with their abnormal copper metabolism; metal-catalyzed reactions often give rise to oxygen radicals, which may be related to the carcinogenesis. By means of high-pressure liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection, cellular DNA damage caused by oxygen radicals can be assessed in terms of the amount of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (oh8dG). We assayed the amount of oh8dG in DNA of liver, kidneys, and brain of LEC and Long-Evans Agouti (LEA) control rats in seven groups (n = 3 to 6) aged from 5 weeks to 24 months. Control rats, a healthy sibling line, were age-matched. The amount of oh8dG was correlated with the severity of the age-related clinical symptoms in LEC rats. The amount was higher in LEC rats than in the controls, especially in the liver at the acute stage of hepatitis. These findings suggest that oxygen radicals may be important in the carcinogenesis that occurs in LEC rats.