Protective effect of oral cysteamine against induction of gastric cancer by N-methyl- N′-nitro- N-nitrosoguanidine in Wistar rats

• Published in: European journal of cancer & clinical oncology Vol. 25; no. 1; pp. 91 - 97
• Main Authors: Tatsuta, Masaharu, Iishi, Hiroyasu, Yamamura, Hisako, Baba, Miyako, Mikoni, Tomiko, Taniguchi, Haruo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 1989; New York, NY Pergamon Press
• Subjects: Adenocarcinoma - chemically induced; Adenocarcinoma - pathology; Adenocarcinoma - prevention & control; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Carcinogenesis, carcinogens and anticarcinogens; Chemical agents; Cysteamine - therapeutic use; Gastric Mucosa - pathology; Gastrins - blood; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Male; Medical sciences; Methylnitronitrosoguanidine; Mitosis - drug effects; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Stomach Neoplasms - chemically induced; Stomach Neoplasms - pathology; Stomach Neoplasms - prevention & control; Tumors; Stomach; Rat; Interaction; Nitrosamine; Rodentia; Tumorigenicity; Anticarcinogen; Pathology; Carcinogen; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Animal; Digestive diseases; Frequency; Experimental tumor
• ISSN: 0277-5379
• DOI: 10.1016/0277-5379(89)90055-2

The effect of oral administration of cysteamine ( 2-aminoethanethiol hydrochloride) on the incidence and histology of gastric adenocarcinomas induced by N-methyl- N′-nitro- N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) was investigated in inbred Wistar rats. Oral administration of 0.4% cysteamine in food after treatment with MNNG for 25 weeks significantly reduced the incidence and number of adenocarcinomas of the glandular stomach in experimental Week 52. Histological examination showed that adenocarcinomas that did develop in rats fed on cysteamine had high mucin-producing activity. Furthermore, oral administration of cysteamine caused a significant increase in serum gastrin level and significant decreases in the antral mucosal pH and the labeling indices of the antral mucosa. These findings indicate that cysteamine inhibits the development of gastric adenocarcinomas when given orally. This effect may be related to its ability to decrease proliferation of antral mucosal cells.