Effect of different levels of dietary zinc on development of chemically induced oral cancer in rats.
Four-week-old female rats distributed among three experimental groups were fed a 0.23 (zinc-deficient), 0.77 (zinc-adequate) or 3.06 (zinc-supplemented) mmol zinc/kg diet and oral cancer was induced by repeated application of the water-soluble carcinogen 4-nitroquinoline N-oxide (4NQO) to the palatal mucosa. The clinical development of oral cancer differed significantly among the three groups (P less than 0.05). In rats fed the zinc-supplemented diet, the macroscopic oral cancer appeared early and the survival time was shorter than in either of the other groups. It was concluded that a zinc-supplemented diet accelerates, and a zinc-deficient diet retards the development of chemically induced oral cancer in rats.
D015112:4-Nitroquinoline-1-oxide; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D015032:Zinc / Q000008:administration & dosage
D015112:4-Nitroquinoline-1-oxide; D015032:Zinc