Light and Moderate Doses of Ethanol in Chemical Carcinogenesis of the Colon in Rats

• Published in: Nutrition and cancer Vol. 63; no. 7; pp. 1029 - 1035
• Main Authors: Cardoso, João Felipe Rito, Cohen, Célia, Jordão, Alceu Afonso, Vannucchi, Hélio, Garcia, Sérgio Britto, Zucoloto, Sérgio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA Taylor & Francis Group 01.10.2011; Taylor& Francis; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Aberrant Crypt Foci - pathology; Animals; antioxidants; Antioxidants - analysis; Biological and medical sciences; biomarkers; Biomarkers - analysis; carcinogenesis; Carcinogens; Carcinogens - toxicity; colon; Colon - drug effects; Colon - pathology; Colonic Neoplasms - chemically induced; Colorectal cancer; colorectal neoplasms; Cyclooxygenase 2 - genetics; Cyclooxygenase 2 - metabolism; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Ethanol; Ethanol - administration & dosage; Ethanol - toxicity; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; glutathione; Glutathione - analysis; Immunohistochemistry; Lipid Peroxidation; liver; Liver - drug effects; Liver - metabolism; Male; malondialdehyde; Malondialdehyde - analysis; Methylnitronitrosoguanidine - toxicity; Oxidative Stress; proliferating cell nuclear antigen; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen - genetics; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen - metabolism; prostaglandin synthase; protective effect; Rats; Rats, Wistar; risk; Rodents; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; vitamin E; Vitamin E - analysis; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Cancerology; Ethanol; Rat; Digestive system; Animal; Light; Gut; Rodentia; Colon; Carcinogenesis
• ISSN: 1532-7914; 0163-5581; 1532-7914
• DOI: 10.1080/01635581.2011.596647

The aberrant crypt foci (ACF), cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), and the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) are putative biomarkers for colon cancer. To study the association between light (1 g of ethanol/kg bw) and moderate (3 g of ethanol/kg bw) doses of ethanol with the chemical carcinogen N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG), Wistar rats were divided into 6 groups. The colon fragments were collected for histochemical and immunohistochemical analyses, and the liver samples were collected for oxidative stress analysis, with products of lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde), antioxidant enzymes (glutathione), and vitamin E. The association of light and moderate doses of ethanol with MNNG did not present differences in the oxidative parameters. However, a reduction in vitamin E levels in the carcinogen groups was observed. The association induced a reduction of the COX-2 and PCNA expression. The number of ACF in the group that received a light dose of ethanol had lower rates, while the group that received a moderate dose had the highest rates compared to the control MNNG, demonstrating that the light dose of ethanol could have a protective effect, while the moderate dose could represent a risk during chemical carcinogenesis in rats.