Relative merits of immunohistochemical demonstrations of placental, A, B and C forms of glutathione S-transferase and histochemical demonstration of gamma-glutamyl transferase as markers of altered foci during liver carcinogenesis in rats.

The values of the immunohistochemical demonstrations of glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) A, B, C and P and histochemical demonstrations of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma-GT) for detection of enzyme altered foci in F344 rat liver were compared. Rats were given a single i.p. injection of 200 mg/kg body weight of diethylnitrosamine (DENA), from 2 weeks later they were given 0.02% N-2-fluorenylacetamide (2-FAA), phenobarbital (PB), butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) or butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) in their diet for 6 weeks and then they were given basal diet and tap water for 4 weeks. They were subjected to partial hepatectomy at the end of week 3. Results showed that immunohistochemical demonstration of GSTs A, B and C for detection of foci were only effective when the administration of 2-FAA, PB, BHA or BHT in the diet was discontinued, because these GSTs were induced in surrounding hepatocytes by these compounds in the diet. gamma-GT was induced in periportal hepatocytes strongly by BHA and BHT and slightly by PB, and gamma-GT positive foci in periportal areas were not distinguishable from gamma-GT positive periportal hepatocytes. GST-P was also induced moderately by BHA and slightly by BHT in periportal hepatocytes, but all GST-P positive foci were clearly distinguishable. In addition, almost all gamma-GT positive foci gave a positive reaction for GST-P, but 5-10% of the GST-P positive foci were not gamma-GT positive.