Effects of d‐Galactosamine Hydrochloride and Partial Hepatectomy on Spontaneous Hepatic Injury and Hepatocarcinogenesis in Long‐Evans Cinnamon Rats

To examine the effect of nongenotoxic chemicals on hepatocarcinogenesis in Long‐Evans Cinnamon (LEC) rats, we gave 6‐week‐old male and female LEC rats (n=18) weekly subcutaneous injections of d‐galactosamine hydrochloride (GalN, 300 mg/kg) in 0.9% NaCl or only 0.9% NaCl for 50 weeks, and killed them in week 62. GalN‐treated male rats unexpectedly showed no lethal necrotizing hepatitis. GalN treatment increased the incidence of cholangiofibrosis in males and its severity in females, but did not cause significant increases of hepatocellular tumors in either sex. GalN treatment increased the 5‐bromo‐2′‐deoxyuridine (BrdU)‐labeling index of hepatocytes and plasma hepatocyte growth factor, and accelerated megalocytic alterations without reduction of the hepatic copper concentration. Next, male and female LEC rats were subjected to two‐thirds partial hepatectomy (PH) or sham hepatectomy in week 8 (n=12) or in week 14 (n=9), and killed in week 62. PH in week 14 inhibited lethal hepatitis, but PH in week 8 was less effective. PH reduced the hepatic copper concentration to half that of controls. The present data suggest that induction of hepatocyte regeneration by repeated injections of GalN, or by PH just before the onset of jaundice has a significant effect in prevention of hepatic injury of LEC rats, but not enhancement of spontaneous hepatocarcinogenesis.