Low susceptibility of the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) to quinoline-induction of hepatic hemangioendothelial sarcomas.

Effects of quinoline and captafol, both of which are hemangiocarcinogenic agents, were investigated in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Male SHR and Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY), the parent strain of SHR, were administered quinoline (0.2%) or captafol (0.15%) supplemented in the diet for 32 weeks. Resultant incidences of hepatic hemangioendothelial sarcomas were in animals receiving quinoline 93% for WKY and only 7% for SHR. A few hepatocellular nodules were also induced in both strains. No histopathological lesions were observed in the other organs. Thus, the SHR proved unexpectedly less susceptible to vascular carcinogenicity than its WKY counterpart.