Infrequent Ki-ras and an absence of p53 mutations in hepatocellular carcinomas induced by a choline deficient L-amino acid defined diet in rats.

Mutations of Ki-ras and p53 genes in hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) induced by the choline deficient L-amino acid defined (CDAA) diet in rats were investigated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis followed by direct sequencing. Male Fischer 344 rats, 6 weeks old, were continuously given a CDAA diet for 70 weeks and then sacrificed. Macroscopically detectable nodules which were histologically confirmed to be well-differentiated HCCs were dissected free from the surrounding tissue and subjected to gene mutation analysis along with samples of non-tumor areas. Conformational change in the Ki-ras gene was detected in 1 out of 7 HCCs, involving a GGC to GTC transversion at codon 13. No p53 mutations were detected in 7 HCCs and also neither Ki-ras nor p53 mutations were found in non-tumor areas. The results suggest that neither Ki-ras nor p53 genes play an important role in hepatocarcinogenesis caused by long term expose to a CDAA diet in rats.