Inhibition by methionine of pancreatic carcinogenesis in hamsters after initiation with N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl) amine

The modifying effects of dietary l-methionine in the post-initiation phase of pancreatic carcinogenesis were investigated in hamsters treated with N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine (BOP). Groups consisting of 20 and 30 animals, respectively, were given BOP subcutaneously, once a week five times at a dose of 10 mg/kg body wt. and then continuously fed diet supplemented with 2% (group 1) or 0% (group 2) methionine (weeks 5–32). After five subcutaneous injections of saline, group 3 animals were similarly fed diet supplemented with 2% methionine for the same period. The incidence of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas was significantly lower in group 1 (36.8%, P<0.05) than in group 2 (71.4%). Multiplicity of adenocarcinomas was also significantly lowered (0.52 and 1.28/hamster, P<0.05). Similarly, total numbers of combined adenocarcinomas and dysplastic lesions were significantly decreased in group 1 (2.05, P<0.05) as compared with group 2 (3.67). Methionine enhanced atrophic change of pancreatic acinar cells in hamsters given BOP, indicating that the inhibitory effects on the post-initiation stage of BOP-induced pancreatic carcinogenesis in hamsters could be generally linked to suppression of growth.