alpha carotene inhibits liver, lung cancer

From: Doug Skrecky (oberon@vcn.bc.ca)
Date: Thu Dec 03 1998 - 10:51:54 MST


Authors
  Tsuda H. Iwahori Y. Asamoto M. Baba-Toriyama H. Hori T. Kim DJ. Uehara
  N. Iigo M. Takasuka N. Murakoshi M. Nishino H. Kakizoe
  T. Araki E. Yazawa K.
Institution
  National Cancer Center Research Institute, National Cancer Center Hospital,
  Tokyo, Japan.
Title
  Demonstration of organotropic effects of chemopreventive agents in multiorgan
  carcinogenesis models.
Source
  IARC Scientific Publications. (139):143-50, 1996.
Abstract
  Organotropic chemopreventive effects of three (pro)vitamins and three
  unsaturated fatty acids were examined using mouse and rat multiorgan
  carcinogenesis models. For the study of (pro)vitamins, male and female B6C3F1
  mice were treated with N,N-diethylnitrosamine (DEN) and
  N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) during the first 11 weeks, then from weeks 12 to
  32 they received alpha-carotene (0.4 mg/mouse), beta-carotene (0.4 mg/mouse)
  or alpha-tocopherol (40 mg/mouse) three times a week by gavage; control mice
  received vehicle alone. In male mice, alpha-carotene significantly reduced
  liver weights, representing a reduced tumour mass (P < 0.001), and
  alpha-carotene, beta-carotene and alpha-tocopherol significantly reduced the
  numbers of liver tumours (adenomas and carcinomas combined) (P < 0.001-0.01)
  as compared with control mice, the effects being greatest with
  alpha-carotene. In female mice, alpha-carotene significantly decreased the
  number of liver tumours (P < 0.001). In the lung, alpha-carotene and
  alpha-tocopherol reduced the area of lesions (hyperplasias and adenomas
  combined) only in males (P < 0.05). For the study of unsaturated fatty acids,
  F344 male rats were treated with DEN, MNU, N-butyl-N-hydroxybutylnitrosamine
  (BBN), 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) and N,N-bis(2-hydroxy)propylnitrosamine
  during the first 5 weeks, then from weeks 6 to 36 they were given
  docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6), eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5) or linoleic acid
  (C18:2) at 1.0 g/rat, three times a week by gavage; control rats were treated
  with oleic acid (C18:1) using the same protocol. All animals were fed a low
  linoleic acid and calorie-adjusted basal diet during fatty acid
  administration. Docosahexaenoic acid and linoleic acid reduced tumours in the
  large and small intestines, respectively. However, they did not influence the
  yield of preneoplastic liver, lung, kidney, forestomach and urinary bladder
  lesions. The data thus provide evidence for organotropic effects of
  carotenoids and unsaturated fatty acids on carcinogenesis.



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