BACKGROUND: Eastern American woodchuck (Marmota monax), naturally infected with woodchuck hepatitis virus, a virus similar to human hepatitis B virus, develops liver cancer with a high prevalence. AIMS: The aim of this work was to assess Marmota monax as a model of human hepatocellular carcinoma, especially to assess new potential adjuvant therapies after surgical resection. METHODS: Forty-four woodchuck hepatitis virus-infected animals were regularly screened by ultrasound examination from the age of 18 months and for a 30-month period. One or more liver tumors were diagnosed in 31 animals (70%). Five of them with multifocal tumor or poor general status were considered unsuitable for surgery. The other 26 were operated on. At laparotomy no tumor was found in three. RESULTS: The 18 liver tumors studied were hepatocellular carcinomas, grossly and microscopically similar to human hepatocellular carcinoma. Peritumoral parenchyma studied in 13 specimens was always non-cirrhotic but adequate staining demonstrated patterns of fibrosis in four cases. Clear evidence of chronic active hepatitis, periportal hepatitis and steatosis were demonstrated in five, seven and one of the 13 specimens, respectively. Tumors were treated by tumorectomy in eight animals, by alcoholization in seven and by laser photocoagulation in one. A simple tumor biopsy was performed in the other seven. Ten animals died postoperatively. All the survivors in the tumorectomy group died from tumor recurrence within 10-18 months after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that woodchuck hepatitis virus-induced liver carcinoma is a natural model of human hepatocellular carcinoma with similar pathology and natural history, including early ultrasonic detection and tumor recurrence after resection. Tumor excision is feasible in this animal model, which now provides the basis for assessment of new potential adjuvant therapies for human hepatocellular carcinoma in an attempt to reduce the high recurrence rate after surgical resection in humans.
BACKGROUND: Eastern American woodchuck (Marmota monax), naturally infected with woodchuck hepatitis virus, a virus similar to human hepatitis B virus, develops liver cancer with a high prevalence. AIMS: The aim of this work was to assess Marmota monax as a model of humanhepatocellular carcinoma, especially to assess new potential adjuvant therapies after surgical resection. METHODS: Forty-four woodchuck hepatitis virus-infected animals were regularly screened by ultrasound examination from the age of 18 months and for a 30-month period. One or more liver tumors were diagnosed in 31 animals (70%). Five of them with multifocal tumor or poor general status were considered unsuitable for surgery. The other 26 were operated on. At laparotomy no tumor was found in three. RESULTS: The 18 liver tumors studied were hepatocellular carcinomas, grossly and microscopically similar to humanhepatocellular carcinoma. Peritumoral parenchyma studied in 13 specimens was always non-cirrhotic but adequate staining demonstrated patterns of fibrosis in four cases. Clear evidence of chronic active hepatitis, periportal hepatitis and steatosis were demonstrated in five, seven and one of the 13 specimens, respectively. Tumors were treated by tumorectomy in eight animals, by alcoholization in seven and by laser photocoagulation in one. A simple tumor biopsy was performed in the other seven. Ten animals died postoperatively. All the survivors in the tumorectomy group died from tumor recurrence within 10-18 months after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that woodchuck hepatitis virus-induced liver carcinoma is a natural model of humanhepatocellular carcinoma with similar pathology and natural history, including early ultrasonic detection and tumor recurrence after resection. Tumor excision is feasible in this animal model, which now provides the basis for assessment of new potential adjuvant therapies for humanhepatocellular carcinoma in an attempt to reduce the high recurrence rate after surgical resection in humans.
Authors: Leo L Studach; Stephan Menne; Stefano Cairo; Marie Annick Buendia; Ronald L Hullinger; Lydie Lefrançois; Philippe Merle; Ourania M Andrisani Journal: Hepatology Date: 2012-10 Impact factor: 17.425
Authors: Charles T Burke; John M Cullen; Andrei State; Sashi Gadi; Kathy Wilber; Michael Rosenthal; Anna Bulysheva; Anthony Pease; Mathew A Mauro; Henry Fuchs Journal: J Vasc Interv Radiol Date: 2011-09-29 Impact factor: 3.464
Authors: F Le Guerhier; C Pichoud; C Jamard; S Guerret; M Chevallier; S Peyrol; O Hantz; I King; C Trépo; Y C Cheng; F Zoulim Journal: Antimicrob Agents Chemother Date: 2001-04 Impact factor: 5.191
Authors: Gloria L Hwang; Maurice A van den Bosch; Young I Kim; Regina Katzenberg; Juergen K Willmann; Ramasamy Paulmurugan; Sanjiv S Gambhir; Lawrence Hofmann Journal: Cureus Date: 2015-06-27