Ki-ras mutations with frequent normal allele loss versus absence of p53 mutations in rat prostate and seminal vesicle carcinomas induced with 3,2'-dimethyl-4-aminobiphenyl.

We have developed a prostate carcinogenesis model in Fischer 344 rats using 3,2'-dimethyl-4-aminobiphenyl (DMAB) as a carcinogen to examine various potential modifying factors. In this study, mutational changes in the ras and p53 genes were assessed in DMAB-induced rat prostate and seminal vesicle carcinomas by single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis and subsequent direct DNA sequencing. Eight of 22 prostate adenocarcinomas (three of nine (33.3%) from the ventral lobe and five of 13 (38.5%) from the dorsolateral lobe, including three transplantable tumors) and one of 11 seminal vesicle adenocarcinomas (9.1%) demonstrated point mutations in the Ki-ras gene. One prostate malignant fibrohistiocytoma examined was negative. Among the positive cases, five (three ventral prostate carcinomas and two transplantable tumors) also showed loss of the normal allele. In contrast, other than one mutation in the p53 gene in the malignant fibrohistiocytoma, there were no mutations in the Ha-ras or p53 genes. These results indicate that mutational activation of the Ki-ras gene, but not of the Ha-ras or p53 genes may play a mechanistic role in prostate and seminal vesicle carcinogenesis by DMAB and that a loss of the normal allele of the Ki-ras gene may also be involved in the process.