The ratio of deoxyadenosine to deoxyguanosine adducts formed by (+)-(7R,8S,9S,10R)-7,8-dihydroxy-9,10-epoxy-7,8,9,10- tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene in purified calf thymus DNA and DNA in V-79 cells is independent of dose.

The hypothesis that the decrease in the proportion of mutations at AT base pairs in Chinese hamster V-79 cells treated with increasing doses of (+)-(R,S,S,R)-benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide ((+)-BPDE) is due to saturation of A for adduct formation was investigated by comparing the ratio of dA to dG adducts formed at high (0.48 microM) and low (0.04 microM) doses of [3H]-labeled (+)-BPDE. The dA to dG adduct ratio was similar in both calf thymus DNA and the genomic DNA in V-79 cells, and did not change with dose. For the V-79 cells, this ratio was also unaffected by a 24-h post treatment repair incubation.

Dose-dependent differences in the mutational profiles of (-)-(1R,2S,3S,4R)-3,4-dihydroxy-1, 2-epoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrobenzo[c]phenanthrene and its less carcinogenic enantiomer.

Chinese hamster V-79 cells were treated with high cytotoxic or low noncytotoxic concentrations of the highly carcinogenic and mutagenic (-)-(1R,2S,3S,4R)-3,4-dihydroxy-1, 2-epoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrobenzo[c]phenanthrene [(-)-B[c]PhDE; fjord-region diol epoxide] or its biologically less active (+)-(1S,2R,3R,4S) enantiomer [(+)-B[c]PhDE]. The benzylic 4-hydroxyl group and the epoxide oxygen are trans in both enantiomers. Independent 8-azaguanine-resistant clones were isolated. The coding region of the hypoxanthine (guanine) phosphoribosyltransferase gene was amplified by reverse transcription-PCR and sequenced. For (-)-B[c]PhDE, mutation frequencies were 10- or 356-fold above background for the low (0.01-0.1 microM; 97% cell survival) or high (1.0-1.25 microM; 26% cell survival) doses, respectively. For the high dose group, 20 of 64 base substitutions occurred at GC base pairs (31%) and 44 at AT base pairs (69%). For the low-dose group, 6 of 55 base substitutions were at GC base pairs (11%), and 49 were at AT base pairs (89%). For the less active (+)-B[c]PhDE, mutation frequencies were 17- or 372-fold above background for the low (0.12-0.5 microM; 95% cell survival) or high (2.0-3.0 microM; 31% cell survival) doses, respectively. In contrast to the results with the (-)-B[c]PhDE, both the high- and the low-dose groups for (+)-B[c]PhDE gave a 50:50 distribution of base substitution at GC versus AT base pairs. Our data indicate that: (a) transversions were the predominant base substitutions observed for both the (+)- and (-)-enantiomers of B[c]PhDE; (b) (-)-B[c]PhDE showed high selectivity for causing AT --> TA transversions, whereas considerably less selectivity was observed for (+)-B[c]PhDE; (c) (-)-B[c]PhDE had a different hot spot profile for base substitutions than did (+)-B[c]PhDE, but some common hot spots were observed for both compounds; and (d) decreasing the dose of (-)-B[c]PhDE increased the proportion of mutations at AT base pairs and decreased those at GC base pairs, but this was not observed for (+)-B[c]PhDE.

Mutagenic selectivity at the HPRT locus in V-79 cells: comparison of mutations caused by bay-region benzo[a]pyrene 7,8-diol-9,-10-epoxide enantiomers with high and low carcinogenic activity.

Earlier studies from our laboratories characterized the mutation profile of the optically active (+)-7R,8S-dihydroxy-9S,10R-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene [(+)-BPDE--the ultimate carcinogenic metabolite of benzo[a]pyrene] in the coding region of the hypoxanthine (guanine) phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) gene of Chinese hamster V-79 cells. In the present study, we evaluated the mutation profile of (-)-7S,8R-dihydroxy-9R, 10S-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene [(-)-BPDE-a weakly carcinogenic or inactive enantiomer] and compared its mutation profile with that of (+)-BPDE. In both diol epoxide enantiomers, the benzylic 7-hydroxy group and epoxide oxygen are trans. The mutation frequency for V-79 cells treated with DMSO vehicle or with a low, non-cytotoxic dose (0.5 microM) or a high cytotoxic dose (2.0 microM) of (-)-BPDE was 1, 25 or 185 8-azaguanine-resistant colonies/10(5) survivors, respectively. Independent 8-azaguanine-resistant clones were isolated, and complementary DNAs were prepared by reverse transcription. The coding region of the HPRT gene was amplified by the polymerase chain reaction and sequenced. Altogether, 92 (-)-BPDE-induced mutant clones were examined. At both doses, base substitutions were the most prevalent mutations observed (present in approximately 7% of the mutant clones), followed by exon deletions (present in approximately 22% of the mutant clones) and frame shift mutations (present in approximately 6% of the mutant clones) in the cDNAs analyzed. At the high cytotoxic dose, 5 out of 36 base substitutions occurred at AT base pairs (14%) and 31 at GC base pairs (86%). At the low, non-cytotoxic dose, 7 out of 34 base substitutions were at AT base pairs (21%) and 27 were at GC base pairs (79%). Although there was a trend towards an increase in the proportion of mutations at AT base pairs when the dose of (-)-BPDE was decreased, this trend was not statistically significant. The data also indicated no dose-dependent differences in the kinds of base substitutions or exon deletions in cDNAs induced by (-)-BPDE. Ninety-one per cent of the (-)-BPDE-induced mutations that occurred at guanine were on the non-transcribed strand of DNA and 9% were on the transcribed strand. In contrast to these results, 50% of the (-)-BPDE-induced mutations that occurred at adenine were on the transcribed strand and 50% on the non-transcribed strand.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Mutagenicity of trans,trans-muconaldehyde and its metabolites in V79 cells.

trans,trans-Muconaldehyde (MUC), a six-carbon-diene-dialdehyde, is a microsomal, hematotoxic ring-opened metabolite of benzene. MUC is metabolized to a variety of compounds which are formed by oxidation and/or reduction of the aldehyde group(s). In the present studies, MUC and its metabolites were examined for mutagenic activity at the hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HGPRT) locus in Chinese hamster V79 cells. Mutagenicity was scored by counting 8-azaguanine-resistant colonies. Of the 6 compounds tested, MUC and its aldehydic metabolites 6-hydroxy-trans,trans-2,4-hexadienal and 6-oxo-trans,trans-hexadienoic acid were mutagenic in that order of potency. The other MUC metabolites tested (1,6-dihydroxy-trans, trans-2, 4-hexadiene, trans, trans-muconic acid, and 6-hydroxy-trans, trans-2,4-hexadienoic acid) had little or not activity in this system. The order of mutagenic activity of MUC and its aldehydic metabolites correlates with their reactivity towards glutathione, suggesting that alkylating potential is important in the genotoxicity of these compounds.

Bacterial and mammalian cell mutagenicity of four optically active bay-region 10,11-diol-8,9-epoxides of the nitrogen heterocycle dibenz[a,h]acridine.

The mutagenic activities of the enantiomers of the diastereomeric pair of bay-region 10,11-diol-8,9-epoxides of dibenz[a,h]acridine (DB[a,h]ACR) were evaluated in histidine-dependent strains of Salmonella typhimurium and in cultured Chinese hamster V79 cells. In strains TA98 and TA100 of S.typhimurium, the (-)-[8S,9R,10R,11S] diol-epoxide was the most mutagenic compound, inducing 1200 and 6900 His+ revertants/nmol respectively. The mutagenic activity of each of the remaining three isomers was essentially independent of the bacterial strain used and had 14-72% of the activity of the [S,R,R,S] isomer. However, in Chinese hamster V79 cells, the (+)-[8R,9S,10S,11R] diol-epoxide was the most mutagenic compound (68 8-azaguanine resistant variants/nmol/10(5) cells), inducing from 2 to 11 times as many mutations as the other three isomers. These results are analogous to previous studies with the bay-region diol-epoxides of other polycyclic hydrocarbons in that the isomer with [R,S,S,R] absolute configuration has had variable activity in the bacterial assays, but has generally been the most active in the mammalian cells. Furthermore, this isomer has almost always been highly tumorigenic in the mouse.

Dose-dependent differences in the profile of mutations induced by (+)-7R,8S-dihydroxy-9S,10R-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo(a)pyrene in the coding region of the hypoxanthine (guanine) phosphoribosyltransferase gene in Chinese hamster V-79 cells.

Chinese hamster V-79 cells were exposed to a high dose (0.30-0.48 microM; 32% cell survival), an intermediate dose (0.04-0.10 microM; 100% cell survival) or a low dose (0.01-0.02 microM; 97% cell survival) of (+)-7R,8S-dihydroxy-9S,10R-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo(a)pyrene [(+)-BPDE] which is the ultimate carcinogenic metabolite of benzo(a)pyrene. The mutation frequency for cells treated with dimethyl sulfoxide vehicle or with low, intermediate or high dose of (+)-BPDE were 1, 10, 52 or 514 8-azaguanine-resistant colonies/10(5) survivors, respectively. Independent 8-azaguanine-resistant clones were isolated, and complementary DNAs were prepared by reverse transcription. The coding region of the hypoxanthine (guanine) phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) gene was amplified by the polymerase chain reaction and sequenced. Altogether, 368 (+)-BPDE-induced mutant clones were examined. At all doses, base substitutions were the most prevalent mutations observed (about 72% of the mutant clones), followed by exon deletions (about 26% of the mutant clones) and frame-shift mutations (about 6% of the mutant clones). At the high cytotoxic dose, 7 of 120 base substitutions occurred at AT base pairs (6%) and 113 at GC base pairs (94%). At the intermediate noncytotoxic dose, 20 of 82 base substitutions occurred at AT base pairs (24%) and 62 at GC base pairs (76%). At the low noncytotoxic dose, 27 of 76 base substitutions were at AT base pairs (36%) and 49 were at GC base pairs (64%). The results indicated that decreasing the dose of (+)-BPDE decreased the proportion of mutations at GC base pairs and increased the proportion of mutations at AT base pairs. At the dose of (+)-BPDE was decreased, there was a dose-dependent decrease in the proportion of GC-->TA transversions (from 69% to 42% of the base substitutions) and a dose-dependent increase in the proportion of AT-->CG transversions (from 1% to 25% of the base substitutions). The data also indicated dose-dependent differences in (+)-BPDE-induced exon deletions and hot spots for base substitutions at GC and AT base pairs. Although more than 99% of the (+)-BPDE-induced mutations at guanine occurred on the nontranscribed strand of DNA, (+)-BPDE-induced mutations at adenine occurred on both the transcribed and nontranscribed strands. The ratio of mutations at adenine on the transcribed strand to mutations at adenine on the nontranscribed strand was 35:19 in (+)-BPDE-treated V-79 cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Inhibitory effect of green tea in the drinking water on tumorigenesis by ultraviolet light and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate in the skin of SKH-1 mice.

Green tea was prepared by extracting 12.5 g of green tea leaves twice with 500 ml of boiling water, and the extracts were combined. This 1.25% green tea extract (1.25 g of tea leaves/100 ml of water) contained 4.69 mg of green tea extract solids per ml and was similar in composition to some green tea beverages consumed by humans. A 2.5% green tea extract (2.5 g of tea leaves/100 ml of water) was prepared similarly. Treatment of female SKH-1 mice with 180 mJ/cm2 of ultraviolet B light (UVB) once daily for 7 days resulted in red sunburn lesions of the skin. The intensity of red color and area of these lesions were inhibited in a dose-dependent fashion by the administration of 1.25 or 2.5% green tea extract as the sole source of drinking water before and during UVB treatment. Treatment of female SKH-1 mice with 180 mJ/cm2 of UVB once daily for 10 days followed 1 wk later by twice weekly application of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate for 25 wk resulted in the development of skin tumors. The formation of skin tumors was inhibited by administration of 1.25% green tea extract as the sole source of drinking water prior to and during the 10 days of UVB treatment and for 1 wk after UVB treatment. In additional experiments, female SKH-1 mice were treated with 200 nmol of 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene followed 3 wk later by irradiation with 180, 60, or 30 mJ/cm2 of UVB twice weekly for 30 wk. UVB-induced formation of skin tumors and increased spleen size were inhibited by administration of 1.25% green tea extract as the sole source of drinking water prior to and during the 30 wk of UVB treatment. In these experiments, treatment of the animals with the green tea extract not only decreased the number of skin tumors but also decreased substantially the size of the tumors. In additional studies, SKH-1 mice were initiated by topical application of 200 nmol of 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene followed by twice weekly application of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate for 25 wk. Administration of 1.25% green tea extract as the sole source of drinking water during promotion with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate reduced the number and incidence of skin tumors.

Dose-dependent differences in the profile of mutations induced by an ultimate carcinogen from benzo[a]pyrene.

Mutations in the coding region of the hypoxanthine (guanine) phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) gene of Chinese hamster V-79 cells were examined after exposure of the cells to a high cytotoxic dose (0.48 microM; 35% survival) and a low noncytotoxic dose (0.04 microM; 100% survival) of the ultimate carcinogen (+)-7R,8S-dihydroxy-9S,10R-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene [(+)-BPDE]. Independent 8-azaguanine-resistant colonies were isolated and cDNAs were prepared by reverse transcription. The coding region of the cDNA of the HPRT gene was amplified by the polymerase chain reaction and sequenced. An examination of the DNA base sequence changes induced by different doses of (+)-BPDE demonstrated that the high dose of (+)-BPDE caused base substitution mutations almost exclusively at G.C base pairs whereas the low dose of (+)-BPDE caused mutations at both G.C and A.T base pairs. Thus, use of a low dose of (+)-BPDE allowed the detection of mutations (at A.T base pairs) that were not readily observed with a high dose of (+)-BPDE. The data also suggest that the low dose of (+)-BPDE may have caused a different profile of base substitutions at G.C base pairs and exon deletions than the high dose. The results indicate dose-dependent differences in the profile of mutations for an ultimate carcinogen.

Comparison of the effect of sn-1,2-didecanoylglycerol and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate on cutaneous morphology, inflammation and tumor promotion in CD-1 mice.

Since sn-1,2-didecanoylglycerol mimics 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) by inducing ornithine decarboxylase activity and stimulating DNA synthesis in mouse epidermis [Smart, R.C., Huang, M.-T. and Conney, A.H. Carcinogenesis, 7, 1865 (1986)], we have investigated morphological changes induced by TPA and sn-1,2-didecanoylglycerol in the epidermis and we have also examined sn-1,2-didecanoylglycerol as a possible complete tumor promoter. It was determined that topical application of 2.5 or 10 mumol of sn-1,2-didecanoylglycerol induced epidermal ornithine decarboxylase activity to about the same extent as the application of 1 or 2 nmol of TPA respectively. Therefore, these doses of TPA and sn-1,2-didecanoylglycerol were used in most of our studies. Single or multiple application (2 X/week for 4 weeks) of 1, 2 or 5 nmol of TPA to the skin of CD-1 mice produced a dose-dependent increase in the number of epidermal non-cornified cell layers, epidermal thickness, leukocyte infiltration and intracellular edema. In contrast, neither single nor multiple application (2 X/week for 4 weeks) of 2.5 or 10 mumol sn-1,2-didecanoylglycerol produced any of these responses. However, when 5 mumol sn-1,2-didecanoylglycerol was applied topically twice a day (10 mumol/day) for 5 days there was a significant increase in the number of epidermal non-cornified cell layers and epidermal thickness. The effects of TPA and sn-1,2-didecanoylglycerol were compared using the mouse ear inflammation model. Application of TPA caused edema, but sn-1,2-didecanoylglycerol had little or no effect. sn-1,2-Didecanoylglycerol was then evaluated as a complete tumor promoter utilizing the mouse skin two-stage model. CD-1 mice were initiated with 200 nmol 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene and then treated with 1 nmol TPA or 2.5 mumol sn-1,2-didecanoylglycerol twice a week for 28 weeks. A 28 weeks, 28% of the mice treated with TPA had developed tumors, while none of the mice treated with 2.5 mumol sn-1,2-didecanoylglycerol developed tumors. The data indicate that topical application of 2.5 mumol sn-1,2-didecanoylglycerol induced ornithine decarboxylase activity to the same extent as a tumor-promoting dose of 1 nmol TPA, but it did not cause morphological changes in the epidermis when applied once or when applied twice a week for 4 weeks and did not function as a complete tumor promoter when applied twice a week for 28 weeks.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Inhibitory effect of curcumin, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, and ferulic acid on tumor promotion in mouse skin by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate.

The effects of topically applied curcumin, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, and ferulic acid on 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced epidermal ornithine decarboxylase activity, epidermal DNA synthesis, and the promotion of skin tumors were evaluated in female CD-1 mice. Topical application of 0.5, 1, 3, or 10 mumol of curcumin inhibited by 31, 46, 84, or 98%, respectively, the induction of epidermal ornithine decarboxylase activity by 5 nmol of TPA. In an additional study, the topical application of 10 mumol of curcumin, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, or ferulic acid inhibited by 91, 25, 42, or 46%, respectively, the induction of ornithine decarboxylase activity by 5 nmol of TPA. The topical application of 10 mumol of curcumin together with 2 or 5 nmol of TPA inhibited the TPA-dependent stimulation of the incorporation of [3H]-thymidine into epidermal DNA by 49 or 29%, respectively, whereas lower doses of curcumin had little or no effect. Chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, and ferulic acid were less effective than curcumin as inhibitors of the TPA-dependent stimulation of DNA synthesis. Topical application of 1, 3, or 10 mumol of curcumin together with 5 nmol of TPA twice weekly for 20 weeks to mice previously initiated with 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene inhibited the number of TPA-induced tumors per mouse by 39, 77, or 98%, respectively. Similar treatment of mice with 10 mumol of chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, or ferulic acid together with 5 nmol of TPA inhibited the number of TPA-induced tumors per mouse by 60, 28, or 35%, respectively, and higher doses of the phenolic acids caused a more pronounced inhibition of tumor promotion. The possibility that curcumin could inhibit the action of arachidonic acid was evaluated by studying the effect of curcumin on arachidonic acid-induced edema of mouse ears. The topical application of 3 or 10 mumol of curcumin 30 min before the application of 1 mumol of arachidonic acid inhibited arachidonic acid-induced edema by 33 or 80%, respectively.

Sebum-suppressing activity of the nonpolar arotinoid Ro 15-0778 in rodents.

Retinoids are known to modulate sebaceous gland activity in humans and animals. The nonpolar arotinoid Ro 15-0778 [(E)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1,1,4,4-tetramethyl-6-(1-methyl-2-phenylethen yl) naphthalene] does not contain a polar end group and is devoid of the classical retinoid side effects of hypervitaminosis A. The favorable toxicological profile stimulated the evaluation of this arotinoid in animal models of sebum production. In castrated, testosterone-stimulated male rats, Ro 15-0778 is 50 times more potent than 13-cis-retinoic acid in inhibiting the production and subsequent secretion of sebum. The oral ED50 value of Ro 15-0778 is 30 micrograms/kg, while an oral dose of 0.5 mg/kg inhibited sebum secretion nearly 100%. In testosterone-stimulated female rats, Ro 15-0778 inhibits sebum secretion significantly with an oral ED50 of 140 micrograms/kg and an s.c. ED50 of 75 micrograms/kg. Ro 15-0778 was also evaluated for its ability to prevent testosterone induction of the immature hamster flank organ. The topical ED50 is 0.53 mg/kg and the oral ED50 is 38 mg/kg. This arotinoid is similarly active in mature male hamsters without testosterone treatment. In addition, the retinoid is active topically and orally in reducing the size of the gerbil abdominal sebaceous gland. The compound exhibits no antiandrogenic activity when tested in ventral prostrate and seminal vesicle assays in rats. Additionally, the compound does not have estrogenic activity when tested in the rat uterine weight assay. High doses of Ro 15-0778 in humans did not demonstrate significant sebum-suppressing activity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Effect of ellagic acid and hydroxylated flavonoids on the tumorigenicity of benzo[a]pyrene and (+/-)-7 beta, 8 alpha-dihydroxy-9 alpha, 10 alpha-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene on mouse skin and in the newborn mouse.

Ellagic acid, quercetin and robinetin were tested for their ability to antagonize the tumor-initiating activity of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) and (+/-)-7 beta, 8 alpha-dihydroxy-9 alpha, 10 alpha-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P 7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide-2), the ultimate carcinogenic metabolite of benzo[a]-pyrene. Ellagic acid, robinetin or quercetin (2500 nmol) had no tumor-initiating activity on mouse skin, but the topical application of 2500 nmol of ellagic acid 5 min before a tumor-initiating dose of 200 nmol of B[a]P 7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide-2 caused a 59-66% inhibition in the number of skin tumors per mouse that were observed after 15-20 weeks of promotion with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate. Similar treatment with 2500 nmol of robinetin or quercetin caused a statistically insignificant 16-24% inhibition in the tumor-initiating activity of 200 nmol of B[a]P 7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide-2 applied 5 min later. Treatment of mice with 2500 nmol of ellagic acid 5 min before the application of 50 nmol of B[a]P inhibited the mean number of skin tumors per mouse by 28-33% after 15-20 weeks of promotion, but these decreases were not statistically significant. Robinetin and quercetin had little or no effect on the tumor-initiating activity of B[a]P on mouse skin. Treatment of preweanling mice with 1/7, 2/7 and 4/7 of the total dose of ellagic acid (300 nmol), robinetin (1400 nmol), myricetin (1400 nmol) or quercetin (1400 nmol) i.p. on their first, eighth and fifteenth day of life, respectively, did not cause the formation of tumors in animals that were killed 9-11 months later. Similar treatment of preweanling mice with the above doses of the phenolic compounds 10 min before the i.p. injection of a total dose of 30 nmol of B[a]P 7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide-2 during the animal's first 15 days of life caused a 44-75% inhibition in the number of diol-epoxide-induced pulmonary tumors per mouse. Similar treatment with these plant phenols had little or no effect on B[a]P-induced pulmonary tumors.

Effect of dietary undegraded carrageenan on colon carcinogenesis in F344 rats treated with azoxymethane or methylnitrosourea.

The effect of dietary undegraded carrageenan (Viscarin 402) on colon carcinogenesis was studied in female inbred F344 rats. Weanling rats were fed semipurified diets containing 0 or 15% undegraded carrageenan. At 7 weeks of age, all animals except controls were given azoxymethane (AOM) s.c. at a dose rate of 8 mg/kg body weight per week for 10 weeks or methylnitrosourea (MNU) intrarectally at a dose level of 2 mg/rat twice a week for 3 weeks. The AOM groups were autopsied 40 weeks and the MNU groups 30 weeks after the first injection. No tumors were induced in the colon or in other organs of untreated rats fed the control diet. One untreated rat fed the carrageenan diet showed a colon adenoma. The animals fed the carrageenan diet and treated with AOM or MNU had a higher incidence of colorectal tumors (number of rats with colorectal tumors and number of tumors per tumor-bearing rat) than did those fed the control diet and treated similarly. The undegraded carrageenan (Viscarin 402) in the diet had an enhancing effect in colorectal carcinogenesis in rats evoked by AOM or MNU.

Effect of bile acids and neutral sterols on benzo[a]pyrene-induced tumorigenesis in skin of mice.

The effect of neutral sterols and bile acids were determined in the classic mouse skin tumor induction system by applying each sterol or acid with benzo[a]pyrene to the skin of Swiss mice three times per week for 60 weeks. The mice were killed 63 weeks after the experimenta was begun. Most of the chemicals had an inhibitory effect on skin tumor formation by benzo[a]pyrene. Unconjugated bile acids had higher inhibitory action than did conjugated bile acids. The inhibition decreased in the following order of acids: chenodeoxycholic, lithocholic, deoxycholic, and clinic. Within the group of conjugated acids, taurine conjugates were more effective inhibitors than were glycine conjugates. The neutral sterols cholesterol, coprostanol, and coprostanone showed relatively similar, moderate inhibitory effects.

Effect of vitamin A deficiency on rat colon carcinogenesis by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine.

The effect of vitamin A deficiency on the sensitivity of the colon to the carcinogenic effect of N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG), a direct-acting carcinogen, given intrarectally was studied in female Fischer rats. Animals maintained on Purina laboratory chow, semipurified vitamin A-free diet, or semipurified vitamine A-supplemented diet were given intrarectally 1.25, 0.63, or 0.31 mg MNNG 3 times weekly for 30 weeks and autopsied at the 45th week. The number of large bowel tumors per tumor-bearing rat was higher in animals receiving 1.25 mg MNNG compared to those given 0.63 or 0.31 mg. Vitamin A deficiency in rats given 1.25 mg MNNG significantly suppressed the large bowel tumor induction compared to rats fed adequate vitamin A. A high incidence of squamous cell papillomatosis of the urinary bladder was observed in rats fed vitamin A-free diet and given 1.25 mg MNNG. The present experiment suggests that the large intestine has a susceptibility that is different from that of the respiratory and urinary tracts to tumorigenic stimulation in vitamin A-deficient status.

Azoxymethane-induced liver hemangiosarcomas in inbred strain-2 guinea pigs.

Intrarectal administration of 0.5 ml of a 0.2% solution of azoxymethane twice weekly for 33 weeks to female inbred strain-2 guinea pigs specifically induced multiple liver hemangiosarcomas in 15 of 16 animals 32-54 weeks after the first treatment. No neoplasms and preneoplastic changes were found in the large intestine.

Large bowel carcinoma in strain-2 guinea pigs by intrarectal instillation of N-methyl-N'-nitro-n-nitrosoguanidine.

Intrarectal instillation of 0.5 ml of a 0.125% solution of N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine twice weekly for 53 weeks to female inbred strain-2 guinea pigs induced multiple large bowel adenocarcinomas in 13 of 15 animals in 52 to 85 weeks. The lesions were plaque-shaped in small tumors and infiltrative or constrictive in large advanced tumors. The neoplasms showed histological features in varied grades of differentiation and invasiveness similar to those of human cases. These findings distinquished them from large bowel cancers chemically induced in rats and mice.

Large bowel carcinogenesis in mice and rats by several intrarectal doses of methylnitrosourea and negative effect of nitrite plus methylurea.

The carcinogenic effect of several dose levels and regimens of an aqueous solution of N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) administered intrarectally to mice and rats is reported. In Ha/ICR Swiss mice, a single dose of 1.8 mg MNU induces mainly lymphomas and pulmonary tumors in less than 20 weeks. Repeated doses of 1.5 mg MNU induces lymphomas, pulmonary tumors, and also large bowel tumors in less than 20 weeks. Doses of 0.3 mg decreased the yield of lymphomas and increased large bowel neoplasms over a period of 40 to 60 weeks. Repeated doses of 0.06 mg also gave a low yield of lymphomas and large bowel tumors over a 60-week period. Thus, a maximal yield of lymphomas is seen with a brief regimen of high doses, whereas large bowel tumors occur with a more frequent lower dose rate. Male Fischer strain rats given 1.0 or 2.5 mg MNU 3 times a week for 10 weeks had a multiplicity of large bowel tumors, proportional to dose, in 25 to 30 weeks. In fact, the high dose level led to a 100% yield in less than 20 weeks. Lymphomas were seen only at the higher dose when the animals were were young, at the beginning of the test. In mice and rats the carcinomas were polypoid or plaque shaped and were well differentiated with extensive invasion but no metastases. The adenomas were pedunculated or sessile. Intrarectal administration of a mixture of methylurea and nitrite for 20 weeks and further observation of the rats for an additional 35 weeks yielded no colon tumors. Thus, there is indirect evidence of a lack of the in situ formation of carcinogenic MNU in the large bowel under physiological conditions.