Effect of ethanol consumption on colon cancer in an experimental model

Abstract

Aims: the present study was designed to examine the effect of an ethanol supplement on experimental colon carcinogenesis. Material and methods: one hundred and ten 10-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into five groups: group A (20 rats) received no treatment. Group B (20 rats) received a supple- ment of ethanol at 1.23 g/kg of body weight per day added to their drinking water for 24 weeks. Group C (30 rats) received 18 weekly doses of dimethylhydrazine (DMH) at 21 mg/kg of body weight from the beginning of the study. Group D (20 rats) re- ceived ethylen-diamin-tetracetic acid (EDTA) solution only for 18 weeks. Group E (20 rats) received ethanol at the same dose as group B plus DMH injections at the same dose as the rats in group C from the beginning of the study. All experimental ani- mals were sacrified after 25-27 weeks. Results: no significant differences in the number of rats that developed tumors, number of tumor-free animals, and number of tumors per rat, as well as in macro-microscopic tumoral findings were observed for animals in group C compared to animals in group E. Conclusions: we concluded that the addition of an ethanol supplement does not modify colorectal carcinogenesis using a dy- namic model of tumor induction with DMH.

Los autores quieren expresar su agradecimiento a D. Manuel Santiago por su ayuda técnica en el manejo y cui- dado de los animales. Este trabajo de investigación ha sido subvencionado por la Universidad de Lleida y con una Beca de “Ayuda a la Investigación FISS Exp. no 89/0612”.