Cellulose and calcium lower the incidence of chemically-induced colon tumors in rats

• Published in: Plant foods for human nutrition (Dordrecht) Vol. 54; no. 4; pp. 295 - 303
• Main Authors: Ranhotra, G.S. (American Inst. of Baking, Manhattan, KS (USA).), Gelroth, J.A, Glaser, B.K, Schoening, P, Brown, S.E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg Springer 1999
• Subjects: ACIDE FOLIQUE; ACIDO FOLICO; Adenocarcinoma - prevention & control; Adenoma - prevention & control; Animal tumors. Experimental tumors; Animals; Anticarcinogenic Agents - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; CALCIO; CALCIUM; Calcium, Dietary - therapeutic use; Carcinogens; CARCINOMA; CARCINOME; CELLULOSE; Cellulose - therapeutic use; CELULOSA; Colonic Neoplasms - prevention & control; Dietary Fiber - therapeutic use; Dimethylhydrazines; Disease Models, Animal; Experimental digestive system and abdominal tumors; FOLIC ACID; Folic Acid - therapeutic use; INTESTIN; INTESTINES; INTESTINOS; Male; Medical sciences; Random Allocation; RAT; RATA; RATS; Rats, Inbred F344; Tumors; Animal model; Calcium; Rat; Rodentia; Cellulose; Inductive effect; Tumor initiation; B-Vitamins; Malignant tumor; Inorganic element; Folic acid; Glucan; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Diet; Experimental design; Protective treatment; Digestive diseases; Laboratory animal; Colon; Factorial design; Tumor promotion
• ISSN: 0921-9668; 1573-9104
• DOI: 10.1023/A:1008149107282

In a 30-week preliminary study and a follow-up 22-week study (2 x 2 factorial), dimethylhydrazine (DMH) injections effectively induced colon tumors in Fischer-344 rats. How this incidence of colon tumors might be affected by cellulose (preliminary study) or by calcium and folic acid (follow-up study) was examined. Cellulose in the diet appeared to provide some protection against DMH-induced colon tumors, but the protective effect of calcium was more evident; normal levels of calcium (500 mg per 100 g diet), but not of folic acid (0.1 mg per 100 g diet), provided protection against colon tumors. The effect due to calcium was observed whether viewed in terms of total number of tumors (p < 0.01) or number of tumors per tumor-bearing rat (p < 0.01).