Inhibitory effects of bovine lactoferrin on intestinal polyposis in the Apc(Min) mouse

Chemopreventive effects of bovine lactoferrin (bLF), previously shown to st rongly inhibit intestinal carcinogenesis in rats (K. Sekine, E. Watanabe, J . Nakamura, N. Takasuka, D.J. Kim, M. Asamoto, V. Krutovskikh, T.H. Baba, T . Ota, M.A. Moore, M. Masuda, H. Sugimoto, H. Nishino, T. Kakizoe, H. Tsuda , Inhibition of azoxymethane-initiated colon tumor by bovine lactoferrin ad ministration in F344 rats, Jpn. J. Cancer Res. 88 (1997) 523-526; K. Sekine , Y. Ushida, T. Kuhara, M. Iigo, H. Baba-Toriyama, M.A. Moore, M. Murakoshi , Y. Satomi, Il. Nishino, T. Kakizoe, I-I. Tsuda, Inhibition of initiation and early stage development of aberrant crypt foci and enhanced natural kil ler activity in male rats administered bovine lactoferrin concomitantly wit h azoxymethane, Cancer Lett. 121 (1997) 211-216), on spontaneous intestinal polyp development were assessed in the Ape(Min) mouse, a model for both fa milial adenomatous polyposis and sporadic colon cancers. In the experiment, 54 mice at 6 weeks of age were given 2% bLF (15 mice), 0.2% bLF (15 mice) and AIN-93G (24 mice) as basal diet ad libitum for 8 weeks. An overall tend ency for a reduction in the total number of polyps in the small intestine w as evident in the bLF-treated animals, along with significant suppression i n the jejunum at the 2% dose (P < 0.05, 68% of the control). In addition, b ody growth suppression, presumed to be due to anemia and/or intussusception as a consequence of numerous polyps in the intestine, was alleviated. No t oxic effects were observed in the intestinal epithelium. Although not as ob vious as observed for the rat case, the data suggest that bLF may be a chem opreventor of intestinal polyposis. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.