David E. Malarkey

Proliferative and Nonproliferative Lesions of the Rat and Mouse Hepatobiliary System

The INHAND Project (International Harmonization of Nomenclature and Diagnostic Criteria for Lesions in Rats and Mice) is a joint initiative of the Societies of Toxicologic Pathology from Europe (ESTP), Great Britain (BSTP), Japan (JSTP) and North America (STP) to develop an internationally-accepted nomenclature for proliferative and non-proliferative lesions in laboratory animals. The purpose of this publication is to provide a standardized nomenclature and differential diagnosis for classifying microscopic lesions observed in the hepatobiliary system of laboratory rats and mice, with color microphotographs illustrating examples of some lesions. The standardized nomenclature presented in this document is also available for society members electronically on the internet (http://goreni.org). Sources of material included histopathology databases from government, academia, and industrial laboratories throughout the world. Content includes spontaneous and aging lesions as well as lesions induced by exposure to test materials. A widely accepted and utilized international harmonization of nomenclature for lesions of the hepatobiliary system in laboratory animals will decrease confusion among regulatory and scientific research organizations in different countries and provide a common language to increase and enrich international exchanges of information among toxicologists and pathologists.

Mutations in the ras proto-oncogene: clues to etiology and molecular pathogenesis of mouse liver tumors

The mouse liver is a frequent target organ for chemical carcinogenesis (Huff et al., 1988, 1991; Gold et al., 1989) and tumor development exhibits preferential strain sensitivity (Dragani et al., 1992; Drinkwater and Bennett, 1991). In some reports a positive correlation has been observed between the degree of spontaneous liver tumor incidence and the propensity to develop liver tumors after treatment with chemical carcinogens (Della Porta et al., 1967; Flaks, 1968; Dragani et al., 1984, 1987; Diwan et al., 1986; Drinkwater and Ginsler, 1986), but this is not always the case (Grasso and Hardy, 1975; Hanigan et al., 1988; Dragani et al., 1992). Thus, the interpretation of this endpoint in assessing potential health hazards to humans continues to be the subject of active debate. Studies of molecular and genetic factors that modulate the genesis of mouse liver tumors should enhance our understanding of the relevance of this response following exposure to genotoxic as well as nongenotoxic chemicals. To utilize intelligently animal models as surrogates for human carcinogenesis, the validity of rodent tumor endpoints in assessing potential human health hazards from chemical exposure remains an important issue. One approach has been to understand the animal system itself and the mechanisms by which chemicals induce tumors in the animal model. Information regarding the molecular events associated with tumor induction should make the relevance of results from rodent carcinogenicity studies to human risk easier to assess. Results to date have identified activation of ras proto-oncogenes as one early event and an important factor associated with chemical induction of mouse liver neoplasia (Reynolds et al., 1986, 1987; Wiseman et al., 1986), although ras-independent pathways appear to account for an appreciable proportion of some chemically induced mouse liver tumors (Fox et al., 1990; Buchmann et al., 1991). Available data emphasize the complexity of H-ras activation in murine hepatocarcinogenesis. Not only the genetic background of the mouse but also the dose of the carcinogen may influence significantly the number of tumors containing activated H-ras. Both high sensitivity and low sensitivity strains of mice can develop liver tumors which contain activated H-ras oncogenes, showing that the ability to activate this gene does not in itself determine susceptibility to hepatocarcinogenesis. Ras gene mutational profiles in chemically induced liver tumors may be different and distinguishable from those in spontaneous tumors. Since multiple genetic as well as nongenetic events are associated with tumor development, defining a precise role for ras gene mutations when they occur in mouse liver tumors is often difficult.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Hexavalent chromium is carcinogenic to F344/N rats and B6C3F1 mice after chronic oral exposure.

Background Hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] is a human carcinogen after inhalation exposure. Humans also ingest Cr(VI) from contaminated drinking water and soil; however, limited data exist on the oral toxicity and carcinogenicity of Cr(VI). Objective We characterized the chronic oral toxicity and carcinogenicity of Cr(VI) in rodents. Methods The National Toxicology Program (NTP) conducted 2-year drinking water studies of Cr(VI) (as sodium dichromate dihydrate) in male and female F344/N rats and B6C3F1 mice. Results Cr(VI) exposure resulted in increased incidences of rare neoplasms of the squamous epithelium that lines the oral cavity (oral mucosa and tongue) in male and female rats, and of the epithelium lining the small intestine in male and female mice. Cr(VI) exposure did not affect survival but resulted in reduced mean body weights and water consumption, due at least in part to poor palatability of the dosed water. Cr(VI) exposure resulted in transient microcytic hypochromic anemia in rats and microcytosis in mice. Nonneoplastic lesions included diffuse epithelial hyperplasia in the duodenum and jejunum of mice and histiocytic cell infiltration in the duodenum, liver, and mesenteric and pancreatic lymph nodes of rats and mice. Conclusions Cr(VI) was carcinogenic after administration in drinking water to male and female rats and mice.

New Insights into Functional Aspects of Liver Morphology

The liver is structurally and functionally complex and has been considered second only to brain in its complexity. Many mysteries still exist in this heterogeneous tissue whose functional unit of the lobule has continued to stump morphologists for over 300 years. The primary lobule, proposed by Matsumoto in 1979, has been gaining acceptance as the functional unit of the liver over other conceptual views because it’s based on vessel architecture and includes the classic lobule as a secondary feature. Although hepatocytes comprise almost 80% of the liver, there are at least another dozen cell types, many of which provide “cross-talk” and play important functional roles in the normal and diseased liver. The distribution and functional roles of all cells in the liver must be carefully considered in both the analysis and interpretation of research data, particularly data in the area of genomics and “phenotypic anchoring” of gene expression results. Discoveries regarding the functional heterogeneity of the various liver cell types, including hepatocytes, hepatic stellate cells, sinusoidal endothelia, and Kupffer cells, are providing new insights into our understanding of the development, prevention and treatment of liver disease. For example, functional differences along zonal patterns (centrilobular or periportal) have been demonstrated for sinusoidal endothelium, Kupffer cells, and hepatocytes and can explain the gradients and manifestations of disease observed within lobules. Intralobular gradients of bile uptake, glycogen depletion, glutamine synthetase, and carboxylesterase by hepatocytes; widened fenestrations in centrilobular sinusoidal lining cells; and differences in the components of centrilobular extracellular matrix or function of Kupffer cells have been demonstrated. Awareness of the complexities and heterogeneity of the liver will add to a greater understanding of liver function and disease processes that lead to toxicity, cancer, and other diseases.

Liver Hypertrophy A Review of Adaptive (Adverse and Non-adverse) Changes—Conclusions from the 3rd International ESTP Expert Workshop

Preclinical toxicity studies have demonstrated that exposure of laboratory animals to liver enzyme inducers during preclinical safety assessment results in a signature of toxicological changes characterized by an increase in liver weight, hepatocellular hypertrophy, cell proliferation, and, frequently in long-term (life-time) studies, hepatocarcinogenesis. Recent advances over the last decade have revealed that for many xenobiotics, these changes may be induced through a common mechanism of action involving activation of the nuclear hormone receptors CAR, PXR, or PPARα. The generation of genetically engineered mice that express altered versions of these nuclear hormone receptors, together with other avenues of investigation, have now demonstrated that sensitivity to many of these effects is rodent-specific. These data are consistent with the available epidemiological and empirical human evidence and lend support to the scientific opinion that these changes have little relevance to man. The ESTP therefore convened an international panel of experts to debate the evidence in order to more clearly define for toxicologic pathologists what is considered adverse in the context of hepatocellular hypertrophy. The results of this workshop concluded that hepatomegaly as a consequence of hepatocellular hypertrophy without histologic or clinical pathology alterations indicative of liver toxicity was considered an adaptive and a non-adverse reaction. This conclusion should normally be reached by an integrative weight of evidence approach.

Blood gene expression signatures predict exposure levels

To respond to potential adverse exposures properly, health care providers need accurate indicators of exposure levels. The indicators are particularly important in the case of acetaminophen (APAP) intoxication, the leading cause of liver failure in the U.S. We hypothesized that gene expression patterns derived from blood cells would provide useful indicators of acute exposure levels. To test this hypothesis, we used a blood gene expression data set from rats exposed to APAP to train classifiers in two prediction algorithms and to extract patterns for prediction using a profiling algorithm. Prediction accuracy was tested on a blinded, independent rat blood test data set and ranged from 88.9% to 95.8%. Genomic markers outperformed predictions based on traditional clinical parameters. The expression profiles of the predictor genes from the patterns extracted from the blood exhibited remarkable (97% accuracy) transtissue APAP exposure prediction when liver gene expression data were used as a test set. Analysis of human samples revealed separation of APAP-intoxicated patients from control individuals based on blood expression levels of human orthologs of the rat discriminatory genes. The major biological signal in the discriminating genes was activation of an inflammatory response after exposure to toxic doses of APAP. These results support the hypothesis that gene expression data from peripheral blood cells can provide valuable information about exposure levels, well before liver damage is detected by classical parameters. It also supports the potential use of genomic markers in the blood as surrogates for clinical markers of potential acute liver damage.

Impact of Helicobacter hepaticus Infection in B6C3F1 Mice from Twelve National Toxicology Program Two-Year Carcinogenesis Studies

Male and female B6C3F1 mice from 12 National Toxicology Program (NTP) 2-yr carcinogenesis studies were found to be infected with Helicobacter hepaticus. Many of the male mice from 9 of these studies had an associated hepatitis (affected studies). Helicobacter hepaticus has been reported to be associated with an increased incidence of hepatitis and hepatocellular neoplasms in the A/JCr male mouse. We attempted to determine if the data from the Helicobacter-affected NTP B6C3F1 mouse studies were compromised and unsuitable for cancer hazard identification. The incidences of neoplasms of the liver (both hepatocellular and hemangiosarcoma) but not of other organs in control male B6C3F1 mice were increased in affected studies as compared with control males from unaffected studies. The increased incidence of hepatocellular neoplasms was observed in those males exhibiting H. hepaficus-associated hepatitis. Other observations further differentiated control male mice from affected and unaffected studies. H-ras codon 61 CAA to AAA mutations were less common in liver neoplasms from males from affected studies as compared with historical and study controls. In addition, increases in cell proliferation rates and apoptosis were observed in the livers of male mice with H. hepaticus-associaled hepatitis. These data support the hypothesis that the increased incidence of liver neoplasms is associated with H. hepaticus and that hepatitis may be important in the pathogenesis. Therefore, interpretation of carcinogenic effects in the liver of B6C3F1 mice may be confounded if there is H. hepaticus-associaled hepatitis.

Hemangiosarcoma in Rodents: Mode-of-Action Evaluation and Human Relevance

Although rarely occurring in humans, hemangiosarcomas (HS) have become important in evaluating the potential human risk of several chemicals, including industrial, agricultural, and pharmaceutical agents. Spontaneous HS arise frequently in mice, less commonly in rats, and frequently in numerous breeds of dogs. This review explores knowledge gaps and uncertainties related to the mode of action (MOA) for the induction of HS in rodents, and evaluates the potential relevance for human risk. For genotoxic chemicals (vinyl chloride and thorotrast), significant information is available concerning the MOA. In contrast, numerous chemicals produce HS in rodents by nongenotoxic, proliferative mechanisms. An overall framework is presented, including direct and indirect actions on endothelial cells, paracrine effects in local tissues, activation of bone marrow endothelial precursor cells, and tissue hypoxia. Numerous obstacles are identified in investigations into the MOA for mouse HS and the relevance of the mouse tumors to humans, including lack of identifiable precursor lesions, usually late occurrence of the tumors, and complexities of endothelial biology. This review proposes a working MOA for HS induced by nongenotoxic compounds that can guide future research in this area. Importantly, a common MOA appears to exist for the nongenotoxic induction of HS, where there appears to be a convergence of multiple initiating events (e.g., hemolysis, decreased respiration, adipocyte growth) leading to either dysregulated angiogenesis and/or erythropoiesis that results from hypoxia and macrophage activation. These later events lead to the release of angiogenic growth factors and cytokines that stimulate endothelial cell proliferation, which, if sustained, provide the milieu that can lead to HS formation.

Application of Toxicogenomics to Toxicology: Basic Concepts in the Analysis of Microarray Data

Toxicology and the practice of pathology are rapidly evolving in the postgenomic era. Observable treatment related changes have been the hallmark of toxicology studies. Toxicogenomics is a powerful new tool that may show gene and protein changes earlier and at treatment levels below the limits of detection of traditional measures of toxicity. It may also aid in the understanding of toxic mechanisms. It is important to remember that it is only a tool and will provide meaningful results only when properly applied. As is often the case with new experimental tools, the initial utilization is driven more by the technology than application to problem solving. Toxicogenomics is interdisciplinary in nature including at a minimum, pathology, toxicology, and genomics. Most studies will require the input from the disciplines of toxicology, pathology, molecular biology, bioinformatics, biochemistry, and others depending on the types of questions being asked.

Chronic toxicity and carcinogenicity studies of chromium picolinate monohydrate administered in feed to F344/N rats and B6C3F1 mice for 2 years

Trivalent chromium (Cr(III)) has been proposed to be an essential element, which may increase sensitivity to insulin and thus participate in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. Humans ingest Cr(III) both as a natural dietary constituent and in dietary supplements taken for weight loss and antidiabetic effects. Chromium picolinate (CP), a widely used supplement, contains Cr(III) chelated with three molecules of picolinic acid and was formulated in an attempt to improve the absorption of Cr(III). In order to examine the potential for CP to induce chronic toxicity and carcinogenicity, the NTP conducted studies of the monohydrate form (CPM) in groups of 50 male and female F344/N rats and B6C3F1 mice exposed in feed to concentrations of 0, 2000, 10,000 or 50,000 ppm for 2 years; exposure concentrations were selected following review of the data from NTP 3-month toxicity studies. Exposure to CPM did not induce biologically significant changes in survival, body weight, feed consumption, or non-neoplastic lesions in rats or mice. In male rats, a statistically significant increase in the incidence of preputial gland adenoma at 10,000 ppm was considered an equivocal finding. CPM was not carcinogenic to female rats or to male or female mice.