No abstract

The inhibitory influence of ferulic acid (FA), a rice germ component, and its geranylated derivative 3-(4′ ′ ′ ′-geranyloxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-2-propenoate (EGMP) on the post-initiation stage of azoxymethane (AOM)-induced colon carcinogenesis was studied in male F344 rats given two s.c. injections of AOM (15 mg/kg body weight) during week 1. Diets containing EGMP or FA at doses of 0.1 or 0.2% were then fed for 3 weeks from week 2 to 5, when the animals were sacrificed. The numbers of aberrant crypt foci (ACF) and aberrant crypts (AC) per rat in the group given 0.2% FA were significantly decreased (P < < < <0.001) as compared to the AOM alone group. Furthermore, the numbers of ACF and AC per rat fed the 0.2% and 0.1% EGMP were significantly reduced (P< < < <0.001 and P< < < <0.01, respectively). Colonic epithelial cells in S-phase, as measured by bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling, in rats fed EGMP were significantly decreased in the 0.2 and 0.1% EGMP groups as compared to the AOM alone group (P < < < <0.05). BrdU labeling indices in rats fed FA and EGMP assessed by a test using a coefficient for linear contrast were also significantly decreased as compared to the AOM alone value (P < < < <0.05, P < < < <0.01, respectively). The results indicate that FA and EGMP have inhibitory effects on ACF and AC development, EGMP being more potent, possibly due to stronger suppressive effects on cell proliferation. No toxic effects were observed in rats given either compound in terms of body and organ weights, and liver or kidney histology. The findings thus suggest that EGMP and FA, especially the former, might have potential as chemopreventive agents against colon tumor development.

We have established a transgenic rat line carrying 3 copies of the human c-Ha-ras proto-oncogene with its own promoter region (Jcl/SD-TgN(HrasGen)128Ncc) (Hras128 rat), expression being detectable in almost all organs. We have already demonstrated that the rat is highly sensitive to mammary, esophagus and bladder carcinogenesis. In the present study, male and female transgenic and wild-type littermates were topically treated with 2.5 mg of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) dissolved in 1.0 ml of acetone on the back skin at 50 days after birth. Starting 1 week thereafter, they were again topically treated with 100 nmol of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) dissolved in 0.5 ml of acetone 3 times weekly for the following 31 weeks. In males treated with DMBA and/or TPA, skin tumors, including both squamous cell papillomas (SCP) and carcinomas (SCC), were preferentially induced at the DMBA-TPA painting sites: DMBA-TPA, 15/15 (100%); DMBA, 6/8 (75%); TPA, 1/6 (16.7%). They were also, unexpectedly, induced on remote scrotal skin: DMBA-TPA, 13/15 (86.7%); DMBA, 5/8 (62.5%); TPA, 0/6 (0%). Lesions were thus more frequent in the DMBA-TPA group than with DMBA or TPA alone. In females, adenomas and adenocarcinomas of the mammary glands were preferentially induced: DMBA-TPA, 12/14 (85.7%); DMBA, 6/8 (75%); TPA, 3/6 (50%), with only a few small skin papillomas at painting sites. Incidences and numbers of the mammary and skin tumors were much greater in Hras128 rats than in their wild-type counterparts. PCR-RFLP analysis of the transgene indicated that the percentage of the cell populations harboring a mutation in codons 12 and/or 61 ranged from 2% to 60% in individual tumors; skin tumors showed more mutations in codon 61 in the DMBA-treated groups. In contrast, no mutations were detected in the endogenous rat c-Ha-ras gene. These results indicate that the Hras128 rat is highly susceptible to DMBA-TPA skin and mammary carcinogenesis, thus providing a unique painting model for skin as well as mammary gland carcinogenesis, that would be suitable for investigating the role of transgene mutations. (Cancer Sci 2004; 95: 205-210) arious transgenic and knockout mice have proven to be good animal models for analysis of gene functions. In the chemical carcinogenesis field, transgenic mice carrying human c-Ha-ras proto-oncogenes (rasH2 mice) have been shown to be highly susceptible to induction of skin, lung and lymphatic cell tumors by various carcinogens.1-6) However, rats are more frequently used for analysis of events occurring during tumor development. There are thus many more basic experimental data available for rats than mice regarding chemical carcinogenesis, and a variety of preneoplastic lesions, including hepatocellular enzyme-altered foci, for example, are available in rats as surrogate markers for cancer development. 7,8) Furthermore, mammary cancers in rats can be induced without the complication of a viral etiology irrelevant to the disease in man. So far, only limited types of transgenic rats have been de...

Organotropic chemopreventive effects of n-3 unsaturated fatty acids were studied using a multiorgan carcinogenesis model in male rats. Rats were treated with diethylnitrosamine (DEN), Nmethyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU), N-butyl-N-4-hydroxybutylnitrosamine (BBN), 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) and dihydroxy-di-n-propylnitrosamine (DHPN) during the first 7 weeks, and then given unsaturated fatty acid (UFAs), docosahexaenoic acid (n-3, C 22:6 ) (DHA), eicosapentaenoic acid (n-3, C 20:5 ) (EPA), linoleic acid (n-6, C 18:2 ) (LA) or oleic acid (n-9, C 18:1 ) (OA) at a dose of 1.0 ml/rat, 3 times a week by gavage for the consecutive 30 weeks. All rats were fed a low LA basal diet throughout the experiment and a calorie-restricted basal diet during the period of UFAs feeding administration. DHA significantly reduced tumor size and numbers in the large intestine as compared to OA treatment. Furthermore, DHA showed a tendency to inhibit carcinogenesis in the small intestine and lung. EPA also showed a tendency to inhibit intestinal carcinogenesis. On the other hand, LA showed a tendency to inhibit lung carcinogenesis, but to promote large intestinal carcinogenesis. However these UFAs did not influence preneoplastic and neoplastic lesion development in the liver, kidney, and urinary bladder. Levels of the administered fatty acids were clearly increased in the serum and organs. In contrast, arachidonic acid (AA) levels in the large and small intestines and liver were markedly decreased by treatment with DHA and EPA. Decreased levels of AA in the large intestine correlated well with tumor incidence, although the number of glutathione S-transferase-positive (GST-P + ) foci showed an inverse correlation with AA levels. The data thus provide evidence that an organotropism exists with regard to the influence of UFAs on carcinogenesis, which correlates with reduction of tissue AA levels in the target organs.

ObjectivesTetrasodium pyrophosphate (TSP) is used in processed meat products, as an emulsifier in cheese, and as a color preservative in soybean paste. However, little is known about its toxicity. This study was conducted to investigate the potential acute and repeated dose toxicity of TSP in Spraque Dawley (SD) rats.MethodsIn the acute study, animals were administered with oral or dermal doses of 2,000 mg/kg TSP. In the repeated dose study, animals were administered doses of 0, 250, 500, and 1,000 mg/kg by oral gavage five times a week for 90 days.ResultsIn acute toxicity studies, no dead animals or abnormal necropsy findings were found in the control or treated group. In the repeated dose toxicity study, there were no significant changes in body weight in the 1,000 mg/kg treatment group, or food consumption, urinalysis, and hematology in any group. With regards serum biochemistry, the levels of total protein, albumin, A/G ratio, triglyceride, calcium and inorganic phosphate were altered at doses of 500 and 1,000 mg/kg. However, no changes were observed at the dose of 250 mg/kg. With regards histopathological findings, cortical tubular basophilia of the kidney increased at the dose of 1,000 mg/kg, but not at doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg. No significant changes were observed in other organs at doses of 250, 500, and 1,000 mg/kg.ConclusionsBased on the results, TSP is unclassified according to the Globally Harmonization System, with an LD50 value of over 2,000 mg/kg. The no observed effect level (NOEL) and no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) were 250 and 500 mg/kg /day respectively and the target organ appears to be the kidney.