Valproic acid (VPA) is used to establish models of experimental autism. The present study investigated the developmental exposure effect of VPA on postnatal hippocampal neurogenesis in accordance with the exposure scheme of OECD Test Guideline 426 adopted for developmental neurotoxicity. Pregnant rats were administered drinking water containing 0, 667, or 2000 ppm VPA from gestational day 6 until day 21 post-delivery. In the subgranular zone (SGZ) and granule cell layer (GCL) of offspring, the number of granule cell lineage subpopulations remained unchanged upon weaning. However, in the hilus of the dentate gyrus, the number of reelin interneurons decreased at ≥667 ppm, and the number of PVALB or GAD67 interneurons decreased at 2000 ppm. Conversely, Reln and Gad1 transcript levels increased at 2000 ppm, but Pvalb and Grin2d decreased, in the dentate gyrus. At the adult stage, PCNA proliferating SGZ cells, NeuN postmitotic SGZ/GCL neurons, and ARC or COX2 GCL neurons increased at ≥667 ppm. In the dentate hilus, decreases in GAD67 interneuron subpopulations and Grin2d transcript levels sustained at 2000 ppm. These results suggested that VPA primarily targets interneurons by developmental exposure, and this is followed by late effects on granule cell lineages, likely by influencing SGZ cell proliferation and synaptic plasticity. A reduced population of reelin or PVALB interneurons did not affect distribution of granule cell lineage subpopulations upon weaning. The late effect on neurogenesis, which resulted in increased GCL neurons, might be the result of a sustained decrease in GAD67 interneurons expressing NR2D encoded by Grin2d.

Mineralocorticoid receptor (MR)/NADPH oxidase (NOX) signaling is involved in the development of obesity, insulin resistance, and renal diseases; however, the role of this signaling on steatotic preneoplastic liver lesions is not fully elucidated. We determined the effects of the MR antagonist potassium canrenoate (PC) on MR/NOX signaling in hepatic steatosis and preneoplastic glutathione S-transferase placental form (GST-P)-positive liver foci. Rats were subjected to a two-stage hepatocarcinogenesis model and fed with basal diet or high fat diet (HFD) that was co-administered with PC alone or in combination with the antioxidant alpha-glycosyl isoquercitrin (AGIQ). PC reduced obesity and renal changes (basophilic tubules that expressed MR and p22phox) but did not affect blood glucose tolerance and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease activity score (NAS) in HFD-fed rats. However, the drug increased the area of GST-P-positive liver foci that expressed MR and p22phox as well as increased expression of NOX genes (p22phox, Poldip2, and NOX4). PC in combination with AGIQ had the potential of inhibiting the effects of PC on the area of GST-P-positive liver foci and the effects were associated with increasing expression of an anti-oxidative enzyme (Catalase). The results suggested that MR/NOX signaling might be involved in development of preneoplastic liver foci and renal basophilic changes in HFD-fed rats; however, the impacts of PC were different in each organ.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is a hepatic disorder with deposition of fat droplets, and has a high risk of progression to steatosis-related hepatitis and irreversible hepatic cancer. Metronidazole (MNZ) is an antiprotozoal and antimicrobial agent widely used to treat patients infected with anaerobic bacteria and intestinal parasites; however, MNZ has also been shown to induce liver tumors in rodents. To investigate the effects of MNZ on steatosis-related early-stage hepatocarcinogenesis, male rats treated with Nnitrosodiethylamine following 2/3 hepatectomy at week 3 were received a control basal diet, high fat diet (HFD), or HFD containing 0.5% MNZ. The HFD induced obesity and steatosis in liver, accompanied by altered expression of Pparg and Fasn, genes related to lipid metabolism. MNZ increased nuclear translocation of lipid metabolism-related transcription factor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma in hepatocytes, together with altered liver expression of lipid metabolism genes (Srebf1, Srebf2, Pnpla2). Furthermore, MNZ signi cantly increased the number of preneoplastic liver foci, accompanied by DNA double-strand breaks and late-stage autophagy inhibition, as re ected by increased levels of γ-H2AX, LC3, and p62. Therefore, MNZ could induce steatosis-related hepatocarcinogenesis by inducing DNA double-strand breaks and modulating autophagy in HFD-fed rats.

Two solitary and minute tumors of 1 and 1.5 mm diameter were identified by microscopy in the left fourth mammary gland of a 13-year-old female Labrador Retriever dog, in addition to multiple mammary gland tumors. The former tumors were well circumscribed and were composed of small-to-large polyhedral neoplastic oncocytes with finely granular eosinophilic cytoplasm, and were arranged in solid nests separated by fine fibrovascular septa. Scattered lumina of variable sizes containing eosinophilic secretory material were evident. Cellular atypia was minimal, and no mitotic figures were visible. One tumor had several oncocytic cellular foci revealing cellular transition, with perivascular pseudorosettes consisting of columnar epithelial cells surrounding the fine vasculature. Scattered foci of mammary acinar cell hyperplasia showing oncocytic metaplasia were also observed. Immunohistochemically, the cytoplasm of neoplastic cells of the 2 microtumors showed diffuse immunoreactivity to anti-cytokeratin antibody AE1/AE3, and finely granular immunoreactivity for 60-kDa heat shock protein, mitochondrial membrane ATP synthase complex V beta subunit, and chromogranin A. One tumor also had oncocytic cellular foci forming perivascular pseudorosettes showing cellular membrane immunoreactivity for neural cell adhesion molecule. The tumors were negative for smooth muscle actin, neuron-specific enolase, vimentin, desmin, S100, and synaptophysin. Ultrastructural observation confirmed the abundant mitochondria in the cytoplasm of both neoplastic and hyperplastic cells, the former cells also having neuroendocrine granule-like electron-dense bodies. From these results, our case was diagnosed with mammary oncocytomas accompanied by neuroendocrine differentiation. Scattered foci of mammary oncocytosis might be related to the multicentric occurrence of these oncocytomas.