Effect of dietary ascorbic acid on the incidence of spontaneous mammary tumors in RIII mice.

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Abstract
A study of the effect of different amounts of L-ascorbic acid (vitamin C), between 0.076% and 8.3%, contained in the food has been carried out with 10 groups of RIII mice (7 ascorbic acid and 3 control groups), with 50 mice in each group. With an increase in the amount of ascorbic acid there is a highly significant decrease in the 1st-order rate constant for appearance of the 1st spontaneous mammary tumor after the lag time to detection by palpation. There is also an increase in the lag time. The mean body weight and mean food intake were not significantly different for the 7 ascorbic acid groups. Striking differences were observed between the 0.076% ascorbic acid and the control groups (which synthesize the vitamin): smaller food intake, decreased lag time, and increased rate constant of appearance of the 1st mammary tumor. This comparison cannot be made experimentally for guinea pigs and primates because the control groups would develop scurvy.