THE EFFECT OF DIETARY RESTRICTION ON THE EPITHELIAL ALTERATIONS OF THE CHEEK POUCH MUCOSA IN HAMSTERS DURING CHEMICAL CARCINOGENESIS

This research aims at examining whether dietary restrictions prevent t he development of carcinomas produced by the chemical carcinogen DMBA on the cheek pouch of hamsters, The effects of dietary restriction and carcinogen action on epithelial thickness, mitotic activity and dyspl asia index were also investigated. The results showed that dietary res triction in paraffin painted animals provoked a prompt diminution in e pithelial thickness and mitotic index throughout the entire experiment . The conclusion that may be drawn from these findings is that during the experiment carried out with the chemical carcinogen DMBA a reducti on in diet diminishes epithelial thickness and mitotic activity, Never theless, these results are overshadowed by the reverse effect of the c arcinogen, Furthermore, it was apparent that dietary restriction incre ased the latent time of cancer development, Still, when malignant neop lasias appeared they were fewer in number and histologically better di fferentiated in the majority of the animals.