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Xenobiotic Metabolizing Enzymes in Genetically and Chemically Initiated Mouse Liver Tumors¹

Department of Pathology, Section of Experimental Pathology, The University of Texas, M. D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute at Houston, Houston, Texas 77030

Chemically induced rat liver nodules and cancers characteristically demonstrate a limited capacity to activate xenobiotics to reactive species mainly because of decreased amounts of cytochrome P-450. These lesions also show enhancement of xenobiotic detoxication by such mechanisms as enzymic conjugation or reduction of cytotoxic species. We recently demonstrated a similar pattern of metabolic alteration in spontaneous mouse liver tumors. These findings suggested that certain phenotypic alterations attributed to chronic chemical exposure are inherent in the genetic program for carcinogenesis, and that they may arise independently of chronic exposure. To extend that study, we examined spontaneous and diethylnitrosamine-induced mouse liver tumors for nine enzyme activities commonly reported to be altered in chemically induced rat liver nodules and cancers. The activities of benzo(a)pyrene monooxygenase (EC 1.14.14.1), aminopyrene demethylase, cytochrome P-450 reductase, epoxide hydrolase (EC 3.3.2.3), and UDPglucuronosyl transferase (EC 2.4.1.17) in microsomes from spontaneous tumors relative to those from normal liver were 0.25, 0.43, 1.27, 0.90, and 0.51, respectively. Similar values were obtained with microsomes from chemically induced tumors. The activities of DT-diaphorase (EC 1.6.99.2), glutathione reductase (EC 1.6.4.2), glutathione S-transferase (EC 2.5.1.18), and glutathione peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.9) in cytosol from spontaneous tumors relative to cytosol from normal liver were 2.24, 2.0, 2.43, and 0.31, respectively. Similar values were obtained with cytosol from chemically induced tumors. These results demonstrated that a significant portion of the enzymic phenotype observed in chemically induced rat liver nodules and cancers, which may confer resistance to cytotoxic chemicals, is manifest in spontaneous and chemically induced mouse liver tumors. Further, initiated cells that exhibit this phenotype replicated and progressed in the absence of continued chemical selection.

¹ This investigation was supported by funds from the Sid Richardson Foundation.

² To whom requests for reprints should be addressed.

Received 11/19/85. Revised 2/10/86. Accepted 2/25/86.