Nitroglycerin (GTN), a nitric oxide (NO) generating vasodilator has been us
ed in the present study to assess the role of NO during tumor promotion in
murine skin. Administration of GTN to 12-O tetradecanoyl phorbol 13-acetate
(TPA)-treated mice resulted in a dose-dependent inhibition in the level of
glutathione and the activity of antioxidant enzymes by similar to 16-40% o
f acetone-treated control. We also observed that GTN application led to a s
ignificant reduction in the ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity and decr
eased the rate of [H-3]thymidine incorporation into epidermal DNA when comp
ared with the acetone-treated control (P < 0.001). Treatment of DMBA-initia
ted TPA-promoted mice with GTN increased the latency period, decreased the
tumor incidence by 32% and there was a 2-fold decrease in tumor yield (tumo
r/mouse) as compared with the TPA (alone)-treated group by 20 weeks. From t
hese data, it can be concluded that NO can abrogate the toxic and tumor pro
moting effects of TPA and GTN can be used as a chemopreventive agent to inh
ibit tumorogenesis in murine skin.