Influence of antioxidative vitamins A, C and E on lipid peroxidation in BOP-induced pancreatic cancer in Syrian hamsters

Persistent oxidative stress is thought to play an important role in carcino genesis. Vitamins may influence oxygen radical metabolism and thus inhibit tumor growth. In the present trial the effects of Vitamins (Vit) A, C and E on neoplastic growth and lipid peroxidation in pancreatic tissue were eval uated on chemically-induced pancreatic adenocarcinoma in the Syrian hamster . The incidence of pancreatic cancer was decreased by Vit. A (64.3%) and Vi t. C (71.4%) as compared to the control group (100%, P < 0.05). All vitamin s increased the activity of superoxidedismutase (SOD) in pancreatic carcino mas. Accumulation of vitamins in tumor cells seems to be responsible for hi gh levels of SOD and consecutive intracellular increase of hydrogen peroxid e levels. Since this effect is selectively toxic for tumor cells it might b e one of the mechanisms decreasing the incidence of pancreatic cancer in ou r trial. (C) 2001 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.