Regulation of rat alpha‐fetoprotein production by methionine during ethionine‐hepatocarcinogenesis

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Abstract
The levels of serum alpha‐fetoprotein (AFP) in rats were determined during hepatocarcinogenesis with ethionine, and the effects of methionine administration on serum AFP elevation in these animals were studied with the aim of investigating regulatory mechanisms of AFP production during carcinogenesis. Elevation of serum AFP was observed 6 weeks following the start of feeding a diet containing 0.25% ethionine and again at the 22nd week of feeding, when a well‐differentiated hepatoma had already developed. These biphasic elevations of serum AFP concentrations in rats fed a 0.25% ethionine‐containing diet decreased abruptly and significantly following a change to the basal diet either supplemented with or without 0.7% methionine. The possibility that regulation of AFP production in these rats may correlate with methionine metabolisms is discussed on the basis of the experimental data obtained.