Enhancement by neurotensin of hepatocarcinogenesis by N-nitrosomorpholine in Sprague-Dawley rats.

The effect of neurotensin on hepatocarcinogenesis by N-nitrosomorpholine (NNM) was investigated in Sprague-Dawley rats. Rats were given drinking water containing NNM for 8 weeks and alternate-day injections of neurotensin from the beginning until the end of the experiment. Preneoplastic and neoplastic lesions stained for placental type glutathione-S-transferase (GST-P) were examined histochemically. Administration of neurotensin significantly increased the percentage area and the number of GST-P-positive lesions, and the labeling indices of pre-neoplastic lesions and adjacent liver. These findings indicate that neurotensin enhances hepatocarcinogenesis and that this effect may be related to its effect in increasing cell proliferation in preneoplastic lesions.