Diphenyl diselenide supplementation delays the development of N-nitroso-N-methylurea-induced mammary tumors

• Published in: Archives of toxicology Vol. 82; no. 9; pp. 655 - 663
• Main Authors: de Vargas Barbosa, Nilda Berenice, Nogueira, Cristina Wayne, Guecheva, Temenouga N., de Lourdes Bellinaso, Maria, Rocha, João Batista Teixeira
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 01.09.2008; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animals; Anticarcinogenic Agents; Ascorbic Acid - metabolism; Benzene Derivatives - pharmacology; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Body Weight - drug effects; Breast cancer; Carcinogens - antagonists & inhibitors; Carcinogens - toxicity; Comet Assay; Diet; Environmental Health; Female; Genotoxicity and Carcinogenicity; Lipid Peroxidation - drug effects; Liver - drug effects; Liver - metabolism; Mammary Neoplasms, Animal - chemically induced; Mammary Neoplasms, Animal - prevention & control; Medical sciences; Methylnitrosourea - toxicity; Neoplasm Proteins - biosynthesis; Neoplasm Proteins - genetics; Occupational Medicine/Industrial Medicine; Organ Size - drug effects; Organoselenium Compounds - pharmacology; Pharmacology/Toxicology; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Rodents; Selenium; Superoxide Dismutase - metabolism; Toxicology; Tumors; nitroso; methylurea; Chemoprophylaxis; Selenium; Mammary tumors; Micronutrient; Prevention; Selenium . N-nitroso-N-methylurea; Chemotherapy; Treatment; Development; Tumor; Mammary gland; Supplementation
• ISSN: 0340-5761; 1432-0738
• DOI: 10.1007/s00204-007-0271-9

The effect of dietary diphenyl diselenide (1 ppm) on N -nitroso- N -methylurea (NMU)-induced mammary carcinogenesis was examined in female Wistar rats. Beginning at 5 weeks of age, the animals were fed with either control or diphenyl-diselenide-supplied diets until the end of the study (210 days). At 50 days of age, mammary tumor was induced by the administration of three doses of NMU (50 mg/kg body wt, intraperitoneally) once a week for 3 weeks. In experimental trials, latency to tumor onset was extended in rats fed with diet supplemented with diphenyl diselenide ( P  < 0.05). The incidence and frequency of tumors were significantly small in animals supplemented with diphenyl diselenide. However, the multiplicity of tumors was not altered by dietary diphenyl diselenide. Diphenyl diselenide supplementation also restored superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and vitamin C levels altered in the NMU group ( P  < 0.05). Our results suggest that diphenyl diselenide can be considered a chemopreventive agent, even when supplemented at a relatively low concentration.