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The Ultrastructure of Renal Neoplasms Induced by Aflatoxin B₁¹

The Division of Experimental Pathology, William H. Singer Memorial Research Institute of the Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15212 [L. M., M. S., M. P.], and Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213 [S. M. E.]

A significant incidence of renal carcinomas was noted in male Wistar rats fed diets containing 1.0, 2.0, or 3.0 ppm of purified aflatoxin B₁. An ultrastructural study of these kidney epithelial neoplasms was performed. Although the component tumor cells preserved some characteristics consistent with a renal origin, additional features usually characteristic of malignant cells were noted. Among the latter, the most striking were loss of apical orientation of brush borders and a lack of orientation of mitochondria. The observations are compatible with a tubular origin for these malignant neoplasms and may serve to make this tumor of use as a tool for the study of specific macromolecular and/or organelle alterations during and subsequent to the oncogenic process.

¹ Supported in part by grants from the American Cancer Society, Inc., and the Beaver County Cancer Society; and by USPHS Research Grants CA 06074 and CA 10667 from the National Cancer Institute, AM 05644 from the National Institute of Arthritis and Metabolic Diseases, and GM 135 (a training grant) and GM 10269 (a research grant) from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences and Contract PH-4363 505.

² Recipient of a Career Development Research Award (K-3-CA-15-245) from the National Cancer Institute. Present address: Department of Pathology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Ind. 46202.

Received 4/ 3/72. Accepted 3/16/73.