Effects of catechol and its analogs on pancreatic carcinogenesis initiated by N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine in Syrian hamsters

Abstract

The modifying effects of the phenolic antioxidant catechol (CC) and its analogs hydroquinone (HQ) and resorcinol (RN) on pancreatic carcinogenesis were evaluated in 146 female Syrian golden hamsters. Groups of animals received either saline or 70 mg/kg body wt N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine (BOP) s.c. injections, twice with a 2 week interval, followed by basal diet or diet containing 1.5% of CC, HQ or RN, and 0.75% CC from week 4. All hamsters were killed at week 20 and histopathologically examined for development of pancreatic, liver and gall bladder lesions. The total numbers of pancreatic lesions comprising carcinomas, atypical ductal hyperplasias and ductal hyperplasias per hamster were significantly decreased in animals receiving BOP followed by CC, HQ and RN when compared to those in hamsters given BOP followed by basal diet. Incidence values for atypical ductal hyperplasias were also significantly decreased by the RN or 0.75% CC treatments. The results thus suggest that pancreatic carcinogenesis initiated by BOP in Syrian hamsters can be inhibited by treatments with phenolic antioxidants such as CC, HQ and RN for a relatively short experimental period.