Modifying effects of concomitant treatment with butylated hydroxyanisole or butylated hydroxytoluene on N,N-dibutylnitrosamine-induced liver, forestomach and urinary bladder carcinogenesis in F344 male rats.

The modifying effects of concomitant antioxidant treatment on N,N-dibutylnitrosamine (DBN)-induced carcinogenesis were investigated. Male F344 rats were given 0.05% DBN in their drinking water for 16 weeks, and simultaneously administered powder diet containing 2.0% butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) or 0.7% butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) for 16 weeks. Control animals received drinking water containing 0.05% DBN without antioxidant treatment. The final incidences of hepatocellular carcinomas were 100, 100 and 40% in the DBN plus BHA, DBN plus BHT and DBN treated groups, respectively, the difference being significant (P less than 0.001). Lung metastases were only observed in the DBN plus BHT group and DBN plus BHA group (50%, P less than 0.001; 7%, respectively). The incidence of papillary or nodular hyperplasia of the urinary bladder in the DBN plus BHA group was significantly higher than that of the control (P less than 0.05). Furthermore, esophageal carcinomas and papillomas were observed in all DBN treated groups, with no inter-group significant variation in yield. On the other hand, combination of DBN treatment with BHA or BHT significantly reduced the resultant incidences of forestomach hyperplasia. The results clearly demonstrated that concomitant administration of antioxidants, and in particular BHT, can modify DBN carcinogenesis.