Effects of Polyoxyethylene Sorbitan Monostearate (Tween 60) upon Experimental Oral Carcinogenesis in the Hamster

¹ Department of Oral Pathology, Indiana University School of Dentistry, Indianapolis, Indiana

A study was undertaken to determine the suitability of the hamster cheek pouch for tumor-promotion experiments. Tween 60—polyoxyethylene sorbitan monostearate, a powerful tumor promoter for mouse skin—was the experimental agent utilized in conjunction with a carcinogen, 7,12-dimethylbenz // anthracene. Although a preliminary study indicated that Tween 60 by itself was unable to penetrate into the cheek-pouch epithelium, the use of a carcinogen-Tween solution resulted in a marked decrease in the latent period for tumor induction compared with control tumors induced with DMBA alone.

The significance of these findings is discussed in the light of previous findings concerning oral carcinogenesis and the phenomenon of tumor promotion. The results of these experiments indicate that a two-stage phenomenon of carcinogenesis similar to that described for skin may be produced in the hamster cheek pouch.