VARIATION IN SUSCEPTIBILITY TO THE INDUCTION OF FORESTOMACH TUMORS BYBUTYLATED HYDROXYANISOLE AMONG RATS OF DIFFERENT STRAINS

The forestomach carcinogenicity of butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) was compared in males of the F334. SHR, Lewis and Sprague-Dawley rat strai ns. Groups of 30 6-wk-old animals were given a pellet diet containing 2% BHA for 104 wk. Forestomach squamous cell papillomas and hyperplasi as developed in all rats given BHA, independent of the strain, but the incidences of squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) differed considerably: F344, 26.7% (8/30) SHR, 76.7% (23/30) SD, 36.7% (11/30) Lewis, 6.7% (2 /30). Cytotoxic effects, reflected by inflammation, were also most sev ere in the SHR strain, correlating well with the development of SCCs. The present results indicate that major strain differences exist regar ding BHA rat forestomach carcinogenesis and that sensitivity to cytoto xicity might be an important parameter. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.