Ethanol, 30 Per Cent, and Hamster Pouch Carcinogenesis

¹ University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Clinical epidemiologic studies have indicated that chronic alcoholism contributes significantly to the development of oral carcinoma. In the present study, an attempt was made to determine if ingestion of 30 per cent ethanol as the sole fluid source would influence the development of chemically induced carcinoma in the cheek pouch of the Syrian hamster.

Sixty hamsters were allotted to four equal groups. Hamsters in two of the groups received 30 per cent ethanol as their sole fluid source, those in one group having 9,10-dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene in mineral oil applied dropwise to the cheek pouch triweekly for 7 weeks and those in the other group receiving mineral oil alone. At 72 days, malignant tumors had developed in the pouches of members of the former group, and the pouches of hamsters in the latter group remained unchanged. The majority of hamsters in both groups developed moderate to extensive fatty infiltration of the liver tissues.

The hamsters in the two remaining groups received water instead of the ethanol solution but were similarly allotted as to application of carcinogen and vehicle. The hamsters receiving DMBA developed fewer malignant tumors than did their ethanolconsuming counterparts. The pouch tissue of the vehicle control hamsters remained unchanged. Most hamsters in both groups ingesting water had histologically normal livers, with only 3 hamsters demonstrating moderate fatty change. The influence of ethanol on the chemical induction of carcinoma in the hamster cheek pouch was not conclusively demonstrated by this experiment. Further studies with larger groups of animals are indicated.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				R. F. Chavez and P. D. Toto Staining Differences Between Normal and Carcinogen-Induced Carcinomas of the Hamster Pouch Journal of Dental Research, July 1, 1970; 49(4): 721 - 724. [PDF]