Suppression of lung and liver carcinogenesis in mice by oral administration of myo-inositol.

It has been reported that myo-inositol can inhibit carcinogenesis in various organs, such as the mammary gland, colon and lung. In the present study, at first, inhibitory effects of myo-inositol on lung carcinogenesis were confirmed. Then, the influence of myo-inositol on liver carcinogenesis in mice was investigated. In C3H/He male mice, the rate of spontaneous liver carcinogenesis is known to be high. Using this experimental model, the effects of oral administration of myo-inositol (added into the drinking water at the concentration of 1%) were assessed. Significant suppression of liver carcinogenesis was observed in mice treated with myo-inositol for 40 weeks. In the control group without myo-inositol administration, 88% of the animals developed liver tumors, whereas in the myo-inositol-supplemented group, the incidence of liver tumors was 38% (p < 0.05). The average number of liver tumors per mouse was also decreased significantly by myo-inositol treatment; from 7.8 in the control group to 0.8 in the myo-inositol-supplemented group (p < 0.01). Thus, myo-inositol may be useful for cancer chemoprevention in the liver, as well as the lung.