title: Induction of colon tumorigenesis by glutathione depletion in p53-knock-out mice.
abstract: In order to examine the role of glutathione (GSH), a key cellular antioxidant, on spontaneous tumor development, we tested the effects of buthionine sulfoximine (BSO), a specific inhibitor of GSH synthesis, and 1,2-oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid (OTCA), a cysteine and GSH precursor, on tumor incidence and spectrum in p53 nullizygous (p53-/-) transgenic mice. Mice were randomly assigned to three groups: control (no treatment), BSO (20 mM in drinking water) or OTCA (6 g/kg in the diet) (n=30 per group). After 10 weeks, GSH levels were decreased 29-88% in all tissues except liver and brain in BSO-treated mice, while no changes were observed in most tissues from OTCA-treated animals. Mice in all groups showed similar survival patterns as well as incidence of the most commonly observed tumors: i.e., lymphomas (80%) and other tumors (38%). However, a 5-fold increase in incidence of colonic tumors (from 4-20%) was observed in the BSO-treated group, suggesting that GSH deficiency and loss of p53 function play contributory roles in colon carcinogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Evaluation Sciences and Pharmacology, Penn State Cancer Institute, Penn State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA. jrichie@psu.edu
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Richie
authors.forename: Despina
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Komninou
authors.forename: Anthony P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Albino
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019328:Buthionine Sulfoximine / Q000494:pharmacology; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005978:Glutathione / Q000032:analysis / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000172:deficiency*
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D019328:Buthionine Sulfoximine; D005978:Glutathione