The study was designated to investigate the electron microscopic findings following diethylnitrosamine (DEN) treatment in rats. Forty four male (Srague Dawley) rats were continuously given water containing 0.01% DEN for 13 weeks and livers of five rats with more tumor lesions at 16 and 17 weeks after initial treatment were used as EM materials.
In transmission electron microscopic findings, most small-sized hepatocytes were active cells containing large mount of organelles, but light (pale staining) hepatocytes among small-sized hepatocytes were injured cells containg disorganized organelles. Tumor cells among small-sized hepatocytes were irregularly arranged and have pleomorphic nuclei containing electron dense chromatin but the organelles in cytoplasm were swelled.
Large-sized hepatocytes were active cells with condensed chromatin but the cytoplasm of these cells were pale due to be injured and dilated organelles. Dark hepatocytes were apoptotic cells with homogenous pyknotic nuclei and cytoplasm, and the cytoplasm of these cells contained dilated smooth endoplasmic reticulum (sER) but these sER were non-vesiculated. Cholangiocarninoma cells were crowded and were pale by far less number of organelles in cytoplasm and nuclei.
In scanning electron microscopic findings, the lumens of portal veins, bile canaliculi, bile ductules, bile ducts and sinusoids were dilated and have irregular folded inner surface by protruded parenchyma.
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