Rat Model Of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Research Articles

Chenodeoxycholic Acid Derivative HS-1200 Inhibits Hepatocarcinogenesis and Improves Liver Function in Diethylnitrosamine-Exposed Rats by Downregulating MTH1.

Aim. To investigate the effects of HS-1200 on liver tumorigenesis and liver function in a diethylnitrosamine- (DEN-) induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) rat model. Methods. Rats were randomly assigned into five groups: control, HS-1200, HCC, HCC + low dose HS-1200, and HCC + high dose HS-1200 groups. Rat HCC model was established by intraperitoneal injection of DEN. And rats were given HS-1200 by daily oral gavage. After 20 weeks, we examined animal body weight, liver weight, liver pathological changes, serum levels of AST, ALT, and AFP, and mutT homologue gene 1 (MTH1) in liver tissue. Results. Oral gavage of HS-1200 significantly increased animal body weight and decreased liver weight as well as liver coefficient in HCC rats (P < 0.05 versus HCC group). Moreover, oral administration of HS-1200 suppressed tumorigenesis, attenuated pathological changes in liver tissues, and decreased serum levels of AST, ALT, and AFP in HCC rats (P < 0.05 versus HCC group). In addition, the mRNA level of MTH1 was upregulated in the liver tissues of HCC rats (P < 0.05 versus control group), which was reversed by HS-1200 treatment in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.05 versus HCC group). Conclusions. HS-1200 inhibits hepatocarcinogenesis and improves liver function maybe by inducing downregulation of MTH1.

Cinnamic Acid Derivatives Enhance the Efficacy of Transarterial Embolization in a Rat Model of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

We hypothesize that the combination of transarterial embolization (TAE) plus inhibition of lactate export will limit anaerobic metabolism and reduce tumor survival compared to TAE alone. The purpose of this study was to test this hypothesis in a rat model of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Rat N1-S1 hepatoma cells were assayed in vitro using the Seahorse XF analyzer to measure extracellular acidification (lactate excretion) comparing effects of the addition of caffeic acid (CA) or ferulic acid (FA) or UK-5099 with control. Monocarboxylate transporter Slc16a3 was knocked down by RNAi. N1S1 tumors were orthotopically implanted in rats and 4 groups evaluated: (1) Control, (2) TAE-only, (3) TAE plus CA, and (4) TAE plus FA. Tumor size was determined by ultrasound and analyzed by repeated measures statistics. Tumors harvested at 4weeks were examined by microscopy. Seahorse assays showed that CA and FA caused a significant reduction by >90% in lactate efflux by N1S1 tumor cells (p<0.01). Knockdown of Slc16a3 prevented inhibition by CA. In vivo tumors grew 30-fold in volume over 4weeks in untreated controls. By comparison, TAE resulted in near cessation of growth (10% in 4-week time period). However, both TAE+CA and TAE+FA caused a significant reduction of tumor volumes (87 and 72%, respectively) compared to control and TAE (p<0.05). Pathologic evaluation revealed residual tumor in the TAE group but no residual viable tumor cells in the TAE+CA and TAE+FA groups. Addition of CA or FA enhances the effectiveness of TAE therapy for HCC in part by blocking lactate efflux.

Influence of bioactive sulfated polysaccharide-protein complexes on hepatocarcinogenesis, angiogenesis and immunomodulatory activities

To explore the invivo anticancer, anti-angiogenesis and immunomodulatory efficacies of the bioactive polysaccharide isolated from cold aqueous extract of Jania rubens (JCEM) and Pterocladia capillacea (PCEM) as well as hot aqueous extract of Enteromorpha intestinalis (EHEM) against hepatocellular carcinoma rat model (HCC) and to study their chemical composition. The sugars and amino acids composition of the bioactive polysaccharides of JCEM, PCEM and EHEM were determined using gas liquid chromatography and amino acid analyzer, respectively. These polysaccharide extracts (20mg/kg b.wt. for 5 weeks) were assessed on hepatocarcinogenesis in rats and α-fetoprotein (AFP), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), glypican-3 (GPC-3), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and Ig G levels were evaluated. The GLC analysis of JCEM, PCEM and EHEM polysaccharide revealed the presence of 10, 9 and 10 sugars, in addition the amino acid analyzer enable identification of 16, 15 and 15 amino acids, respectively. These polysaccharide extracts of JCEM, PCEM and EHEM produced significant decrease in serum AFP, CEA, GPC-3, HGF and VEGF compared with untreated HCC group. JCEM, PCEM and EHEM had an immunostimulatory responses by increasing the IgG levels as compared by naïve value (1.23, 1.53 and 1.17 folds), respectively. The bioactive polysaccharides in HCC induced rats improved the humoral immune response. The photomicrographs of liver tissue sections of the groups of HCC treated with polysaccharide extracts of Jania rubens and Enteromorpha intestinalis showed intact histological structure. Moreover, fractions HE1, HE4, HE7 obtained from polysaccharide of EHEM showed moderate cytotoxic activity against HepG2 invitro with IC50 73.1, 42.6, 76.2μg/mL. However, fractions of PCEM and JCEM show no or weak cytotoxicity against HepG2 invitro where the cytotoxic activity of their crude polysaccharide extract proved synergetic effect. The pronounced antitumor activity of sulfated polysaccharide-protein complexes of JCEM and EHEM is due to direct cytotoxic activity, anti-hepatocarcinogenesis, and anti-angiogenesis. In addition, JCEM, PCEM and EHEM had an immunostimulatory response and improved the humoral immune response in HCC induced rats.

The antitumor activity of a lactosaminated albumin conjugate of doxorubicin in a chemically induced hepatocellular carcinoma rat model compared to sorafenib

BackgroundWorldwide, consistent survival benefit for chemotherapy in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a golden goal for concerned researchers. Nexavar® (sorafenib) is the only approved agent that achieved touchable successes in this regard. Thus, there is a pressing medical need for new promising drugs to improve HCC therapy. Aimsour designed lactosaminated albumin conjugate of doxorubicin (L-HSA–DOXO) that rapidly and preferentially accumulates in the liver is compared, for the first time at its MTD, with doxorubicin and sorafenib, not only for antitumor efficacy but also for overall survival. MethodsHCC was induced in male Wistar rats with N-nitrosodiethylamine added to drinking water (100mg/L) for 8 weeks. Endpoints were antitumor efficacy, tolerability and overall survival. ResultsL-HSA–DOXO proved to be superior at least over doxorubicin in the majority of assessed endpoints. Circulating AFP-L3% was diminished in L-HSA–DOXO (14.5%) and sorafenib (18.4%) groups compared to DENA (31.1%) and doxorubicin (29.5%) groups. This superiority was further confirmed by Western blot analyses of some novel HCC biomarkers. Survival study reinforced consistent benefits of both L-HSA–DOXO and sorafenib. ConclusionsL-HSA–DOXO shows at least comparable activity to sorafenib which clinically achieves only ∼3 months overall survival benefit. Combination of these two agents could act beneficially or synergistically via two different modes of action to fight HCC.

Propolis induce cytotoxicity on cancerous hepatocytes isolated from rat model of hepatocellular carcinoma: Involvement of ROS-mediated mitochondrial targeting

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third cause of mortality due to cancer throughout the world. Propolis is a beehive product with a specific chemical composition, widely used in traditional medicine because of its several pharmacological activities. Propolis has attracted much attention in recent years as a useful substance having application in medicine and cosmetics. Many studies have shown that propolis contain anti-cancer compounds. The present research was designed to evaluate the selective cytotoxicity of ethanolic extracts of propolis (EEP) sample purchased from Kurdistan province, Iran on hepatocytes and mitochondria obtained from the liver of HCC induced rats. HCC was induced by diethylnitrosamine (DEN) and 2-acetylaminofluorene (2-AAF) method. Our results showed that EEP (75, 150 and 300μg/ml) selectively induced mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP)decrease, mitochondrial swelling and cytochrome c release by increasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and also caspase-3 activation in hepatocytes and mitochondria isolated from liver of HCC induced but not untreated normal rats. Our results provided evidence for the hypothesis that Iranian propolis could show a promising selective toxicity on HCC rat hepatocytes through directly mitochondrial targeting and apoptosis induction.

Abstract 2347: The amphiphatic β(2,2)-amino acid derivative, LTX-401 induces complete regression of experimental hepatocellular carcinomas

Abstract Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common cancer in the world and third cause of cancer-related deaths. Because HCC is a relatively chemotherapy-resistant cancer, and many patients are restricted to surgical resection or liver transplantation, there is an urgent need to develop new and improved therapeutic regiments. In the present study, we have investigated the therapeutic effect of a novel oncolytic compound, LTX-401, designed for the local treatment of solid malignancies. In vitro analysis revealed that LTX-401 displayed potent anticancer activity against a broad variety of cancer cell lines. In our model cell line (JM1 HCC), LTX-401 was found to induce necrotic (lytic) cell death followed by the release of potent immune stimulants in the form of Danger-Associated Molecular Pattern molecules (DAMPs) such as HMGB1 and ATP. Ultrastructural analysis by transmission electron microscopy also revealed that a substantial portion of LTX-401-treated JM1 cells contained significantly affected mitochondria. Additionally, cytochrome c was detected in cell supernatants after treatment. The anticancer effect of LTX-401 was investigated in a rat hepatocellular carcinoma model by inoculating JM1 cells into the liver (intrahepatic) of syngeneic Fischer 344 rats. LTX-401 induced a complete regression of HCC tumors by intratumoral injection. Tumor-specific protective immune responses were obtained in previously cured animals, as re-challenge with live and equivalent tumor cells did not lead to tumor growth. Furthermore, intratumoral treatment with LTX-401 was able to eradicate diffuse distant untreated metastasis in the liver. Immuno-histological analysis showed T-cell infiltration into treated tumors. Taken together, intrahepatic treatment with LTX-401 can induce complete regression and long lasting protective tumor-specific immune responses. Citation Format: Brynjar Mauseth, Ji-Hua Shi, Ketil Camilio, Øystein Rekdal, Baldur Sveinbjørnsson, Pål-Dag Line. The amphiphatic β(2,2)-amino acid derivative, LTX-401 induces complete regression of experimental hepatocellular carcinomas. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 2347.

Abstract 3781: Combination therapy with a liver selective acetyl-CoA carboxylase inhibitor ND-654 and sorafenib improves efficacy in the treatment of cirrhotic rats with hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is increasing in incidence worldwide. Current treatment options for HCC are limited, and as such, prognosis is extremely poor with a 5-year survival less than 12%. Sorafenib is the only FDA-approved drug for the treatment of HCC but its effects are marginal as it only extends survival by a few months. Therefore, new treatment options are urgently needed. Metabolic attenuation is a promising approach to cancer therapy, and rate-limiting steps in key biosynthetic pathways are particularly attractive targets. We recently identified ND-654, a hepatoselective (∼3000:1 liver to muscle exposure), allosteric ACC inhibitor that binds to the ACC subunit dimerization site and inhibits the enzymatic activity of both ACC1 (IC50 = 3 nM) and ACC2 (IC50 = 8 nM). Daily oral administration of 10 mg/kg ND-654 reduced tumor incidence by 55% and significantly improved median survival time in a rat model of cirrhosis and HCC. Here, we examine the effects of ND-654 alone and in combination with sorafenib on HCC development in cirrhotic rats. Methods: Male Wistar rats were treated once weekly with 50 mg/kg diethylnitrosamine (DEN) for 18 weeks to induce sequential development of fibrosis, cirrhosis and HCC. After establishment of cirrhosis and when HCCs are first developing (13 weeks), rats were treated daily by oral gavage with either 1) vehicle control, 2) 10 mg/kg ND-654, 3) 10 mg/kg sorafenib, or 4) 10 mg/kg ND-654 and 10 mg/kg sorafenib. After 18 weeks, tumor nodules were counted and liver and tumor tissue was harvested for analysis. Results: Similar to our previous study, simultaneous inhibition of ACC1 and ACC2 significantly reduced HCC incidence by 41% (p &amp;lt; 0.05) which was comparable to results with sorafenib (57% reduction, p &amp;lt; 0.01). Remarkably, the combination of ND-654 and sorafenib significantly reduced HCC incidence by 81% (p &amp;lt; 0.001). We are currently examining the effects of combining ND-654 and sorafenib on markers of tumor proliferation and apoptosis. Conclusions: These results provide further evidence that de novo lipogenesis is an important mediator of hepatic carcinogenesis and that selective inhibition of hepatic ACC is a viable cancer metabolism therapeutic strategy for treating HCC that could be combined with sorafenib. Citation Format: Lan Wei, Geraldine Harriman, Sarani Ghoshal, Omeed Moaven, Jeremy Greenwood, Sathesh Bhat, William F. Westlin, H. James Harwood, Rosana Kapeller, Kenneth K. Tanabe, Bryan C. Fuchs. Combination therapy with a liver selective acetyl-CoA carboxylase inhibitor ND-654 and sorafenib improves efficacy in the treatment of cirrhotic rats with hepatocellular carcinoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 3781.

Serum serotonin as unexpected potential marker for staging of experimental hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the primary cancer of the liver. The present study aimed to assess the potential role of the endogenous regulators of angiogenesis like neurotransmitters, as possible HCC biomarkers. Five groups of rats were used in this study (8 rats per each): control healthy group (I), four intoxicated groups (II, III, IV, and V) used for induction of HCC with a single IP dose of diethylnitrosamine (DENA), 200mg/kg. Groups II, III, IV, and V were sacrificed after 8, 16, 24, and 32 weeks of DENA injection respectively. Serum levels of epinephrine, nor-epinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine of all animals were estimated using high performance liquid chromatography technique coupled with fluorescence detector (HPLC-FLD). Development of HCC was confirmed histopathologically. Our results showed a significant increase in 3 neurotransmitters (epinephrine, nor-epinephrine, and serotonin) in DENA intoxicated HCC rat model. Only serotonin exhibited a significant increase in early histological stage HCC development (16 weeks post DENA injection) in comparison to alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), (24 weeks post DENA injection). These results suggest that neurotransmitters (Epinephrine and Norepinephrine) may have a role as a biomarker for late histological stage HCC. Like AFP, while serotonin may be used for early stage HCC.

Multiparametric human hepatocellular carcinoma characterization and therapy response evaluation by hyperpolarized (13) C MRSI.

Individual tumor characterization and treatment response monitoring based on current medical imaging methods remain challenging. This work investigates hyperpolarized (13) C compounds in an orthotopic rat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) model system before and after transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE). HCC ranks amongst the top six most common cancer types in humans and accounts for one-third of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Early therapy response monitoring could aid in the development of personalized therapy approaches and novel therapeutic concepts. Measurements with selectively (13) C-labeled and hyperpolarized urea, pyruvate and fumarate were performed in tumor-bearing rats before and after TAE. Two-dimensional, slice-selective MRSI was used to obtain spatially resolved maps of tumor perfusion, cell energy metabolic conversion rates and necrosis, which were additionally correlated with immunohistochemistry. All three injected compounds, taken together with their respective metabolites, exhibited similar signal distributions. TAE induced a decrease in blood flow into the tumor and thus a decrease in tumor to muscle and tumor to liver ratios of urea, pyruvate and its metabolites, alanine and lactate, whereas conversion rates remained stable or increased on TAE in tumor, muscle and liver tissue. Conversion from fumarate to malate successfully indicated individual levels of necrosis, and global malate signals after TAE suggested the washout of fumarase or malate itself on necrosis. This study presents a combination of three (13) C compounds as novel candidate biomarkers for a comprehensive characterization of genetically and molecularly diverse HCC using hyperpolarized MRSI, enabling the simultaneous detection of differences in tumor perfusion, metabolism and necrosis. If, as in this study, bolus dynamics are not required and qualitative perfusion information is sufficient, the desired information could be extracted from hyperpolarized fumarate and pyruvate alone, acquired at higher fields with better spectral separation. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Acidic pH-Triggered Drug-Eluting Nanocomposites for Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Monitored Intra-arterial Drug Delivery to Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Transcatheter hepatic intra-arterial (IA) injection has been considered as an effective targeted delivery technique for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Recently, drug-eluting beads (DEB) were developed for transcatheter IA delivery to HCC. However, the conventional DEB has offered relatively modest survival benefits. It can be difficult to control drug loading/release from DEB and to monitor selective delivery to the targeted tumors. Embolized DEBs in hepatic arteries frequently induce hypoxic and low pH conditions, promoting cancer cell growth. In this study, an acidic pH-triggered drug-eluting nanocomposite (pH-DEN) including superparamagnetic iron oxide nanocubes and pH-responsive synthetic peptides with lipid tails [octadecylamine-p(API-l-Asp)10] was developed for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-monitored transcatheter delivery of sorafenib (the only FDA-approved systemic therapy for liver cancer) to HCC. The synthesized sorafenib-loaded pH-DENs exhibited distinct pH-triggered drug release behavior at acidic pH levels and highly sensitive MR contrast effects. In an orthotopic HCC rat model, successful hepatic IA delivery and distribution of sorafenib-loaded pH-DEN was confirmed with MRI. IA-delivered sorafenib-loaded pH-DENs elicited significant tumor growth inhibition in a rodent HCC model. These results indicate that the sorafenib-pH-DENs platform has the potential to be used as an advanced tool for liver-directed IA treatment of unresectable HCC.

AZGP1 suppresses epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and hepatic carcinogenesis by blocking TGFβ1-ERK2 pathways

Zinc-α2-glycoprotein 1 (AZGP1) has been found to play important roles in TGF-β1 induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). However, the mechanisms of AZGP1 inhibiting EMT and its therapeutic potential remain unknown in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). AZGP1, TGF-β1 or ERK2 expressions were examined in liver tissues of HCC patients and rat model. The effect of AZGP1 on EMT and crosstalking of TGFβ1-ERK2 signaling in human hepatic cancer cell was tested in vitro and in vivo. Hepatic expression of AZGP1 was nearly deficient in HCC patients and rats. It was proved that AZGP1 has the ability of down-regulating mesenchymal markers, up-regulating epithelial marker, inhibiting cell invasion and suppressing EMT in human HCC cells. The results clarified that AZGP1 has the effect on blocking TGF-β1 mediated ERK2 phosphorylation leading to depressing EMT and invasive potential in vitro. Local injection of AZGP1 mimic in vivo could significantly withhold lung metastasis in HCC. In conclusion, loss of AZGP1 could trigger EMT induced by TGFβ1-ERK2 signaling, confuse in energy metabolism, reduce cell proliferation and apoptosis, activate survival signals and promote invasion. Up-regulation of AZGP1 should be proposed to reverse EMT and might be a new promising therapy for HCC.

Persistent effect of mTOR inhibition on preneoplastic foci progression and gene expression in a rat model of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a heterogeneous disease in which tumor subtypes can be identified based on the presence of adult liver progenitor cells. Having previously identified the mTOR pathway as critical to progenitor cell proliferation in a model of liver injury, we investigated the temporal activation of mTOR signaling in a rat model of hepatic carcinogenesis. The model employed chemical carcinogens and partial hepatectomy to induce progenitor marker-positive HCC. Immunohistochemical staining for phosphorylated ribosomal protein S6 indicated robust mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) activity in early preneoplastic lesions that peaked during the first week and waned over the subsequent 10 days. Continuous administration of rapamycin by subcutaneous pellet for 70 days markedly reduced the development of focal lesions, but resulted in activation of the PI3K signaling pathway. To test the hypothesis that early mTORC1 activation was critical to the development and progression of preneoplastic foci, we limited rapamycin administration to the 3-week period at the start of the protocol. Focal lesion burden was reduced to a degree indistinguishable from that seen with continuous administration. Short-term rapamycin did not result in the activation of PI3K or mTORC2 pathways. Microarray analysis revealed a persistent effect of short-term mTORC1 inhibition on gene expression that resulted in a genetic signature reminiscent of normal liver. We conclude that mTORC1 activation during the early stages of hepatic carcinogenesis may be critical due to the development of preneoplastic focal lesions in progenitor marker-positive HCC. mTORC1 inhibition may represent an effective chemopreventive strategy for this form of liver cancer.

Down-regulation of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p57 is mediated by Jab1/Csn5 in hepatocarcinogenesis.

Down-regulation of p57 (KIP2) cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors accelerates the growth and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), suggesting that p57 may play an important role in liver carcinogenesis. However, the mechanism or oncogenic signal leading to p57 down-regulation in HCC remains to be determined. Herein, we demonstrated that Jab1/Csn5 expression is negatively correlated with p57 levels in HCC tissues. Kaplan-Meier analysis of tumor samples revealed that high Jab1/Csn5 expression with concurrent low p57 expression is associated with poor overall survival. The inverse pattern of Jab1 and p57 expression was also observed during carcinogenesis in a chemically induced rat HCC model. We also found that mechanistically, Jab1-mediated p57 proteolysis in HCC cells is dependent on 26S-proteasome inhibitors. We further demonstrated that direct physical interaction between Jab1 and p57 triggers p57 down-regulation, independently of Skp2 and Akt pathways, in HCC cells. These data suggest that Jab1 is an important upstream negative regulator of p57 and that aberrant expression of Jab1 in HCC could lead to a significant decrease in p57 levels and contribute to tumor cell growth. Furthermore, restoration of p57 levels induced by loss of Jab1 inhibited tumor cell growth and further increased cell apoptosis in HCC cells. Moreover, silencing Jab1 expression further enhanced the antitumor effects of cisplatin-induced apoptosis in HCC cells. Jab1-p57 pathway confers resistance to chemotherapy and may represent a potential target for investigational therapy in HCC.

Deferasirox, an oral iron chelator, prevents hepatocarcinogenesis and adverse effects of sorafenib.

Although sorafenib is expected to have a chemopreventive effect on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence, there are limitations to its use because of adverse effects, including effects on liver function. We have reported that the iron chelator, deferoxamine can prevent liver fibrosis and preneoplastic lesions. We investigated the influence of administering a new oral iron chelator, deferasirox (DFX), on the effects of sorafenib. We used the choline-deficient l-amino acid-defined (CDAA) diet-induced rat liver fibrosis and HCC model. We divided rats into four groups: CDAA diet only (control group), CDAA diet with sorafenib (sorafenib group), CDAA diet with DFX (DFX group), and CDAA diet with DFX and sorafenib (DFX + sorafenib group). Liver fibrosis and development of preneoplastic lesions were assessed. In addition, we assessed adverse effects such as changes in body and liver weight, skin damage (eruption, dryness, and hair loss), which is defined as hand-foot skin syndrome, in the sorafenib and DFX + sorafenib groups. The combination of DFX + sorafenib markedly prevented liver fibrosis and preneoplastic lesions better than the other treatments. Furthermore, the combination therapy significantly decreased adverse effects compared with the sorafenib group. In conclusion, the combination therapy with DFX and sorafenib may be a useful adjuvant therapy to prevent recurrence after curative treatment of HCC.

Abstract B111: Efficacy of AKT inhibitor ARQ 092 compared with Sorafenib in a cirrhotic rat model with hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract Background and aim: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third cause of cancer-related death worldwide. PI3K/AKT pathway is activated in 50% of HCC. The aim of this study was to assess toxicity and efficacy of a new AKT inhibitor (ARQ 092) compared to sorafenib. Method: In vitro experiments were realized with viability, apoptosis and migration assays in 5 different cell lines to analyze the effects of ARQ 092 and sorafenib on the different mechanisms of carcinogenesis. Furthermore, an in vivo study with a diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced rat model of HCC on cirrhosis was performed. After 14 weeks of DEN, rats were randomized in 3 groups: control, sorafenib, or ARQ 092 and treated during 6 weeks. Tumor volume and progression were assessed by MRI before treatment, after 3 and 6 weeks of treatment. After euthanasia, pathological analysis of livers was performed assessing tumor numbers and volumes. Results: ARQ 092 showed a dose-dependent decrease in cell viability, induction of apoptosis, and inhibition of migration. In vivo study on 26 rats showed a significantly lower tumor volume in ARQ 092 group: 45.9% of the control versus 60.4% of the control with sorafenib (p = 0.022). Number of tumors per liver was also significantly lower in ARQ 092 group with a mean of 53.9 tumors versus 96.3 tumors in control group (p = 0.001) and 96.8 tumors in sorafenib group (p = 0.015). MRI analysis showed a lower tumor progression in ARQ 092 group with 57.0% versus 155.3% in control group (p&amp;lt;0.0001), and 80.2% in sorafenib group (p = 0.08). Conclusion: ARQ 092 was more significantly control tumor progression in a DEN-induced cirrhotic rat model with HCC compared to sorafenib. Citation Format: Gael S. Roth, Ayca Zeybek, Zusana Macek-Jilkova, Giovanni Abbadessa, Yi Yu, Patrice Marche, Vincent Leroy, Thomas Decaens. Efficacy of AKT inhibitor ARQ 092 compared with Sorafenib in a cirrhotic rat model with hepatocellular carcinoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2015 Nov 5-9; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2015;14(12 Suppl 2):Abstract nr B111.

Metformin inhibits early stage diethylnitrosamine‑induced hepatocarcinogenesis in rats.

Antitumor effects of metformin have recently emerged despite its original use for type II diabetes. In the present study, the effects of metformin on the development and recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were investigated using the diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced rat model of HCC. Tumor foci were characterized by gross examination and by histopathological characteristics, including proliferation, hepatic progenitor cell content and the expression of hepatocarcinoma-specific molecular markers. Potential target molecules of metformin were investigated to determine the molecular mechanism underlying the inhibitory effects of metformin on chemically induced liver tumorigenesis. The antitumor effects of metformin were increased by the reduction of surface nodules and decreased the incidence of altered hepatocellular foci, hepatocellular adenoma and carcinoma. Also, decreased expression levels of glutathione S-transferase placental form, proliferating cell nuclear antigen and cytokeratin 8 described the inhibitory effects of metformin on HCC. In the present study, Wistar rats receiving treatment with DEN were administered metformin for 16 weeks. In addition, metformin suppressed liver tumorigenesis via an AMPK-dependent pathway. These results suggested that metformin has promising effects on the early stage of HCC in rats. Therefore, metformin may be used for the prevention of HCC recurrence following primary chemotherapy for HCC and/or for high-risk patients, including chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis.

Abstract 4452: Liver selective acetyl-CoA carboxylase inhibition by ND-654 improves survival in cirrhotic rats with hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is increasing in incidence worldwide. Current treatment options for HCC are limited, and as such, prognosis is extremely poor with a 5-year survival less than 12%. Therefore, there is an urgent medical need for new therapeutic strategies. Metabolic attenuation is a promising approach to cancer therapy, and rate-limiting steps in key biosynthetic pathways are particularly attractive targets. Simultaneous inhibition of the acetyl-CoA carboxylase isozymes, ACC1 and ACC2, results in concomitant inhibition of fatty acid synthesis (FASyn) and stimulation of fatty acid oxidation (FAOxn) in cultured cells and in animals and impedes tumor cell growth in vitro. We recently identified ND-654, a hepatoselective (∼3000:1 liver to muscle exposure), allosteric ACC inhibitor that binds to the ACC subunit dimerization site and inhibits the enzymatic activity of both ACC1 (IC50 = 3 nM) and ACC2 (IC50 = 8 nM). We previously demonstrated that daily oral administration of 10 mg/kg ND-654 reduced tumor incidence by 55% in a rat model of HCC. Here, we test the hypothesis that ND-654 can decrease the number of tumor-related deaths and improve survival time in this model. Methods: Male Wistar rats were treated weekly with 50 mg/kg diethylnitrosamine (DEN) to induce sequential development of fibrosis, cirrhosis and HCC. After establishment of cirrhosis (13 wks), rats were treated daily by oral gavage with vehicle containing either 0, 10, or 30 mg/kg ND-654. At the time of death, tumor nodules were counted and liver and tumor tissue was analyzed to assess the effects of ND-654 on disease progression. Results: Simultaneous inhibition of ACC1 and ACC2 significantly improved median survival time in this lethal model of cirrhosis and HCC from 114 days in vehicle control animals to 126 (p = 0.02) and 129 days (p = 0.009) in animals treated with either 10 or 30 mg/kg ND-654. Analysis of tumor tissue revealed that ND-654 decreased tumor cell proliferation as assessed by PCNA staining. In addition, compared to vehicle control, ND-654 induced massive tumor necrosis, as assessed by H&amp;E staining, but minimal apoptosis, as assessed by caspase-3 staining. Sirius red staining of the liver parenchyma revealed decreased accumulation of collagen fibers and therefore fibrosis in ND-654 treated animals as compared to vehicle control animals. Conclusions: These results provide further evidence that de novo lipogenesis is an important mediator of hepatic fibrosis and carcinogenesis and that selective inhibition of hepatic ACC is a viable cancer metabolism therapeutic strategy for treating HCC and liver fibrosis/cirrhosis. Citation Format: Omeed Moaven, Lan Wei, Geraldine Harriman, Jeremy Greenwood, Sathesh Bhat, William F. Westlin, H. James Harwood, Rosana Kapeller, Danielle K. DePeralta, Kenneth K. Tanabe, Bryan C. Fuchs. Liver selective acetyl-CoA carboxylase inhibition by ND-654 improves survival in cirrhotic rats with hepatocellular carcinoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 4452. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-4452

Protective Effects of Total Glucosides of Paeony on N-nitrosodiethylamine-induced Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Rats via Down-regulation of Regulatory B Cells

Total glucoside of paeony (TGP), extracted from the root of Paeonia Lactiflora, has been known to show anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, hepato-protective and immuno-regulatory activities. The aim of this present study was to determine the anti-tumor effect of TGP against N-nitrosodiethylamine (DEN)-induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in rats, and to find the related mechanisms. Rat HCC model was established by intragastrically administrating with DEN (8 mg/kg). We found the number of tumor nodules and the index of liver and spleen were increased in the model group compared with the normal group, and was significantly decreased by TGP. Additionally, TGP obviously improved the hepatic pathological lesions induced by DEN, and decreased the elevated levels of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), glutamic oxalacetic transaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and alpha fetoprotein (AFP) by DEN. Moreover, TGP decreased the level of B cell-activating factor (BAFF) and the proportion of IL-10-producing regulatory B cells (Bregs), and the decrease of BAFF by TGP is positively correlated to the decrease of IL-10-producing Bregs by TGP. These results suggest that TGP had a good therapeutic action on DEN-induced HCC rats, which might be due to its down-regulation of Bregs through reducing the level of BAFF.

MRI-detectable polymeric micelles incorporating platinum anticancer drugs enhance survival in an advanced hepatocellular carcinoma model

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most intractable and lethal cancers; most cases are diagnosed at advanced stages with underlying liver dysfunction and are frequently resistant to conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The development of tumor-targeting systems may improve treatment outcomes. Nanomedicine platforms are of particular interest for enhancing chemotherapeutic efficiency, and they include polymeric micelles, which enable targeting of multiple drugs to solid tumors, including imaging and therapeutic agents. This allows concurrent diagnosis, targeting strategy validation, and efficacy assessment. We used polymeric micelles containing the T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent gadolinium-diethylenetriaminpentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA) and the parent complex of the anticancer drug oxaliplatin [(1,2-diaminocyclohexane)platinum(II) (DACHPt)] for simultaneous imaging and therapy in an orthotopic rat model of HCC. The Gd-DTPA/DACHPt-loaded micelles were injected into the hepatic artery, and magnetic resonance imaging performance and antitumor activity against HCC, as well as adverse drug reactions were assessed. After a single administration, the micelles achieved strong and specific tumor contrast enhancement, induced high levels of tumor apoptosis, and significantly suppressed tumor size and growth. Moreover, the micelles did not induce severe adverse reactions and significantly improved survival outcomes in comparison to oxaliplatin or saline controls. Our results suggest that Gd-DTPA/DACHPt-loaded micelles are a promising approach for effective diagnosis and treatment of advanced HCC.

Doxorubicin-loaded poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) microspheres prepared using the solid-in-oil-in-water method for the transarterial chemoembolization of a liver tumor

Doxorubicin (DOX)-loaded poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microspheres (MSs) were fabricated using the solid-in-oil-in-water (S/O/W) emulsification method for transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) of a liver tumor. DOX-loaded PLGA MSs with a mean diameter of 26μm and a spherical shape were prepared. The biodegradation of PLGA MSs was observed in serum using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Drug release from the PLGA MSs was accelerated at an acidic pH (pH 5.5) compared to a normal physiological pH (pH 7.4). According to the results of a pharmacokinetic study in rats, the area under the curve (AUC) value of a drug, which indicates the systemic exposure extent of the drug, of the PLGA MSs group was 29.9% of that of a hepatic arterial injection (HAI) group. The DOX concentration ratio for liver tumors compared to normal livers was significantly higher in the PLGA MSs group than that of the HAI group (p<0.05). After the TACE procedure was performed with DOX-PLGA MSs in a rat hepatoma model, the mean size increment of tumor in DOX-PLGA MSs group was found to be lower than that of the HAI group, and the viable portion of the DOX-PLGA MSs group was less than the other groups (p<0.05). All these findings suggested that the developed DOX-loaded PLGA MSs fabricated with the S/O/W method can be used as a promising drug delivery system in TACE for liver tumors.