Author Affiliations: Department of Hepatobiliary Pancreatic Surgery and Liver Transplantation Center, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China (Yang FC，Zheng SS and Jiang TA) Corresponding Author: Shu-Sen Zheng, MD, PhD, Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China (Tel: 86-571-87236736; Fax: 86-571-87236678; Email: zsspaper@yahoo.com)
BACKGROUND: Rat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) model which has a high analogy to clinical liver cancer is of great value in understanding the pathogenesis and evolution of liver cancer, in searching effective anti-cancer treatments (drug, hepatectomy and liver transplantation), and designing cancer prevention strategies. In this study we established a modified rat model of hepatocellular carcinoma to enhance rats’ physique and surgical endurance.
METHODS: Wistar rats were fed with diethylnitrosamine (DENA) by three methods for evaluation of general conditions for 130 days: Doppler ultrasonographic measurement, laparotomy and histopathological examination.
RESULTS: No rat died in control group (group A) and modified DENA-induction-HCC group(group C), but 6 deaths in classical DENA-induction-HCC group (group B) (survival rate 80%). All survived rats in groups B and C developed diffusive hepatocellular carcinoma and liver cirrhosis. General appearance of rats in the group C was better than that in the group B.
CONCLUSION: With good general conditions for surgery, the modified rat model for hepatocellular carcinoma has a high carcinogenic rate and a high survival rate.
2004, Vol. 3 
