Inhibition of a Spectrum of Animal Tumors by Dietary Zinc Deficiency2

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Abstract
Zinc deficiency inhibits the growth of Walker 256 carcino-sarcoma, a rapidly dividing solid tumor, in rafs. To ascertain whether tumor inhibition is a general effect of zinc deficiency, the growth of the more slowly dividing, solid, Lewis lung carcinoma in mice and of several ascites tumors in mice and rats was studied in zinc-deficient animals. Growth of the Lewis lung carcinoma was inhibited, but the survival, though increased, was probably limited by the adverse effects of zinc deficiency. Survival of mice with transplanted leukemias was significantly prolonged by zinc deficiency as was that of rats with an ascites carcinoma. This increase in survival was also interpreted as evidence of tumor inhibition by zinc deficiency. The results suggest that tumor inhibition is a general effect of zinc deficiency, irrespective of cell type, cell growth rate, or site of growth.

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