The effects of ethanol on a transplanted rat liver tumor in athymic nude mice.

Abstract

The effects of ethanol on a liver tumor which was transplanted into athymic nude mice were investigated. The original liver tumor was obtained from a F344 rat, initiated with diethylnitrosamine (DEN), and subsequently administered 2-acetyl-aminofluorene (2-AAF), and established as a tumor line in rnu/rnu rats. Pieces of serially transplanted liver tumor were inoculated into 34 ICR nude, 5-week-old, mice. After one week, these were divided into two groups, one (Group 1) receiving a 0.2ml injection of ethanol in the transplanted and the afer (Group 2) given 0.2ml saline. Group 3, without the tumor transplanted was administered ethanol as a control. Subgroups of animals were killed at days 2, 5, 10, and 30. In group 1, at day 2 after the ethanol injection areas of tumor showed severe necrosis with crust formation. In contrast, those not receiving the ethanol injection demonstrated intact transplants. In group 1, necrotic portions were gradually absorbed and development of tumors was apparent by day 30, but the sizes of individual lesions were smaller than in the group given saline alone. Thus ethanol clearly inhibited the growth of transplanted liver tumor. The results suggest that ethanol injection might be effective as a treatment for hepatocellular neoplasms.