Expression of pyruvate kinase M2 in preneoplastic hepatic foci of N-nitrosomorpholine-treated rats.

The expression of the pyruvate kinase (PK) isoenzymes L and M2 was analysed in the livers of rats treated with the hepatocarcinogenic agent N-nitrosomorpholine (NNM) in the drinking water. In control animals L-PK expression was restricted to liver parenchymal cells, whereas M2-PK was detected in bile duct epithelial, blood vessel wall, endothelial and Kupffer cells. In rats treated with NNM proliferating oval cells were consistently L-PK negative and M2-PK positive, while the ductal cells of cholangiofibroses were clearly L-PK positive and coexpressed M2-PK. However, no morphological differentiation of ductal cells into hepatocyte-like cells was observed. In the clear and acidophilic cell foci storing glycogen in excess strong staining for L-PK was observed. In glycogen-poor foci induced by NNM a shift from L-PK to M2-PK expression takes place.