Liver, kidney and islet cell tumors in spontaneously hypertensive and normotensive rats treated neonatally with streptozotocin.

We studied the oncogenic action of neonatal streptozotocin (STZ) treatment in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY) for 12 months. Two-day-old male neonates were intraperitoneally injected with STZ of which doses were 37.5-75.0 mg/kg for SHR and 100.0-150.0 mg/kg for WKY. The 12-month survival rate was 16 of 22 (73%) in SHR and 10 of 14 (71%) in WKY, respectively. The incidence of tumors in STZ-treated SHR was 27% in liver, 14% in kidney and 5% in liver and kidney, being related to the dose of STZ given, namely, 25% in 37.5 mg/kg, 50% in 50.0 or 62.5 mg/kg and 75% in 75.0 mg/kg. In STZ-treated WKY which survived 12 months, all had tumors, namely, 70% in liver, 20% in kidney and 10% in liver and kidney. Histological features of liver and kidney tumors were characteristic of hepatoma and nephroblastoma, respectively. Islet cell tumor was evident in 4 of 10 (40%) in SHR treated with lower doses of STZ (less than or equal to 50 mg/kg) but not in SHR and WKY treated with higher doses (62.5-150.0 mg/kg). The present study indicates that neonatal STZ treatment has the oncogenic action on liver, kidney and pancreatic islet.