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Prevention of Rat Hepatocarcinogenesis by Acyclic Retinoid Is Accompanied by Reduction in Emergence of Both TGF-α-Expressing Oval-Like Cells and Activated Hepatic Stellate Cells

Abstract: We investigated the preventive effects of a synthetic acyclic retinoid, NIK-333, on the early and late events of hepatocarcinogenesis in male F344 rats treated with 3'-methyl-4-dimethylaminoazobenzene (3'-MeDAB). NIK-333 was administered once a day on consecutive days at a dose of 10, 40, or 80 mg/kg body weight along with the supplementation with 3'-MeDAB-containing diet for 16 wk. Animals from each group were sacrificed at 4 and 16 wk after the commencement of the experiment to determine the effect of NIK-333 on the early and late stages of carcinogenesis, respectively. NIK-333 suppressed the emergence of both oval-like cells expressing transforming growth factor (TGF)-α, putative progenitors of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and activated hepatic stellate cells, major matrix-producing cells of the liver, in the early stage and inhibited the incidence of HCC in the late phase. These results suggest that NIK-333 is a promising drug for the chemoprevention of HCC by uniquely suppressing the early events of hepatocarcinogenesis, that is, development of both oval-like cells and fibrogenesis.