Changes in the content of pepsinogen messenger RNA in the gastric mucosa of rats during N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine-induced carcinogenesis

Pepsinogen mRNA is shown to be the major fraction of rat poly (A)+RNA. It codes polypeptide with molecular weight of about 45 kD. Changes in the pepsinogen mRNA content at the early stage of carcinogenesis are nonspecific and are due to the toxic effect of MNNG. Steady shifts in the quantity of pepsinogen mRNA are found between the 1st and 3d months. Pepsinogen mRNA content decreases down to the half of the normal one between the 3d and 6th months. A quantity of RNA capable to be a template for pepsinogen synthesis is reduced by more than 90% in the MNNG induced tumour. The pepsinogen production defect in gastric mucosa neoplasia is mainly due to pepsinogen mRNA synthesis damage.