Inhibitory effect of selenium on hamster pancreatic cancer induction by n′-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine

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Abstract
The effect of selenium intake on the development of pan creatic cancer was investigated in female Syrian golden ham sters. Four‐week‐old hamsters were divided into 2 groups ac cording to the selenium level in their drinking water and were fed a purified diet containing less than 0.05 ppm selenium. Starting 4 weeks later, groups received 10 s. c. injections at weekly intervals of N′‐nitrosobis(2‐oxopropyl)amine (BOP) dissolved in saline, while controls received saline alone. When the animals were killed 18 weeks after the last injection, pal pable tumors were less frequent in the high‐selenium group than in animals receiving low‐selenium supplement, the num bers of histologically diagnosed cancerous lesions also being significantly reduced by high selenium intake. The selenium level and glutathione peroxidase activity in serum and pan creas were significantly greater in the high‐selenium group. Moreover, selenium levels and glutathione peroxidase activ ity were both significantly higher in tumor‐bearing tissue. The results suggest that glutathione peroxidase is involved as an intermediate factor in prevention of carcinogenesis by sele nium.