2 research outputs found
Transforming growth factor -a expression in rat experimental hepatocarcinogenesis
Growth factors in general and transforming
growth factor-a in particular have been related to cell
proliferation and cell differentiation. This study was
designed to clarify the distribution pattem of TGF-a in
chemically-induced hepatocarcinogenesis. Sprague-
Dawley rats were subjected to different non-intensive or
intensive carcinogenic treatments using diethylnitrosamine
(DEN) as carcinogen and ethinyl estradiol
(EE) as promoter. The livers were fixed in 2%
paraformaldehyde, dehydrated in a series of ethanol
solutions, embedded in paraffin and sectioned. In the
preneoplastic lesions no TGF-a immunoreactive cells
were identified, but in some hepatic tumours cell
immunostained with TGF-a antibody were observed.
These results suggest that the cells capable of expressing
TGF-a constitutively may be involved in neoplastic
development in vivo