Chemoprevention of experimental mammary carcinogenesis by the synthetic organoselenium compound, benzylselenocyanate, in rats.

The effect of the dietary organoselenium compound, benzylselenocyanate (BSC) along with its sulphur analogue, benzylthiocynanate (BTC) and sodium selenite (Na2SeO3), on 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-induced mammary carcinogenesis was examined in female Sprague-Dawley rats during the initiation phase of carcinogenesis. Semipurified diets containing 25 p.p.m. of BSC and 25 p.p.m. BTC, and 4 p.p.m. Selenium as Na2SeO3 in drinking water were given to 5-week-old rats for 3 weeks starting 2 weeks before, during and until 1 week after carcinogen treatment. At 7 weeks of age animals were given a single dose of DMBA (10 mg) in 1 ml olive oil by oral intubation. One week after DMBA treatment, the groups receiving BSC- and BTC-supplemented diets were transferred to the unsupplemented standard diets and the group of rats receiving Na2SeO3 in drinking water was transferred to regular tap water for the duration of the experiment. The results indicate that the rats receiving BSC in their diet showed a highly significant inhibition of tumor incidence and tumor multiplicity as well as a prolonged latency period when compared to the group fed the control diet. Neither BTC nor Na2SeO3 had any effect on the subsequent development of mammary tumors. These results indicate that dietary BSC inhibits mammary tumor incidence during the initiation phase of carcinogenesis and is a considerably more potent inhibitor than its sulphur analogue BTC and inorganic selenium. This is the first report that demonstrates the inhibition of mammary carcinogenesis by a synthetic organoselenium compound.