potassium-thiocyanate and diisopropanolnitrosamine

In order to investigate whether goitrogens and liver enzyme-inducers modify the tumorigenesis in the liver or lung, 6-week old male F344 rats were given single subcutaneous injection of DHPN, and starting one week later received water containing goitrogens, namely sulfadimethoxine (SDM), propylthiouracil (PTU) and potassium thiocyanate (KSCN), or an enzyme-inducer, phenobarbital (PB), for 19 weeks ad libitum. Although the number of GST-P positive foci in the liver was significantly increased in the PB group as compared to the control group, there were no significant fluctuations in the SDM, PTU and PB groups. With respect to the lung, it is suggested that SDM, KSCN and PB may enhance the lung tumorigenesis, since the multiplicities of hyperplasias of alveolar epithelia were increased in groups treated with these compounds.

Topics: Animals; Antithyroid Agents; Liver Neoplasms, Experimental; Lung Neoplasms; Male; Nitrosamines; Phenobarbital; Propylthiouracil; Rats; Rats, Inbred F344; Sulfadimethoxine; Thiocyanates

To evaluate the mechanism of the promoting effect of goitrogens on thyroid tumorigenesis, well-known goitrogens having different pharmacologic action, i.e., thiourea, phenobarbital sodium (PB), potassium thiocyanate (KSCN), and 3,4,5,6-tetrachloro-2',4',5',7'-tetraiodo-fluorescein sodium salt (Rose Bengal B, FD&C Red No. 105) (FR105) were administered to the DHPN-initiated and non-initiated F344 male rats in the drinking water for 25 weeks. Remington's iodine deficient diet (I-def) was fed as a positive control. These goitrogens showed significant tumor promoting effect or promoting tendency on the rat thyroids. According to the changes in thyroid morphology and thyroid-related hormone titers observed in the present study, we proposed to classify goitrogens at least into 2 groups, i.e., iodine deficiency-type promoters and the iodine excess-type promoters. The former contains goitrogens inducing TSH-stimulated diffuse goiter composed of uniform follicles with activated tall follicular epithelial cells, such as thiourea, KSCN and PB, and the latter contains goitrogens inducing colloid goiter composed of a mixture of colloid-rich follicles with flat follicular cells and normal-looking follicles with cuboidal follicular cells, such as FR105. This classification may be useful for the risk assessment of goitrogens.

Topics: Animals; Antithyroid Agents; Body Weight; Carcinogens; Male; Nitrosamines; Organ Size; Phenobarbital; Rats; Rats, Inbred F344; Rose Bengal; Thiocyanates; Thiourea; Thyroid Gland; Thyroid Hormones; Thyrotropin