Esophageal carcinoma in house musk shrews, Suncus murinus (Insectivora), induced by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine

• Published in: Journal of cancer research and clinical oncology 1993-12, Vol.119 (12), p.717-720
• Main Authors: TSUBURA, A, SENZAKI, H, TAKAHASHI, H, OYAIZU, T, MORII, S
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal tumors. Experimental tumors; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - chemically induced; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - pathology; Disease Models, Animal; Esophageal Neoplasms - chemically induced; Esophageal Neoplasms - pathology; Experimental digestive system and abdominal tumors; Female; Medical sciences; Methylnitronitrosoguanidine - toxicity; Papilloma - chemically induced; Papilloma - pathology; Shrews; Tumors
• ISSN: 0171-5216; 1432-1335
• DOI: 10.1007/BF01195342

Female 6-week-old shrews were given a solution of N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) at a concentration of 50 micrograms/ml or 100 micrograms/ml in the drinking water. All 11 shrews receiving 100 micrograms/ml MNNG died 8-13 days after the beginning of carcinogen administration and 6 of the 20 shrews receiving 50 micrograms/ml MNNG died after 10-54 days. When animals were between 43 and 54 weeks of age, multiple esophageal lesions were evoked in all 14 that had received 50 micrograms/ml MNNG for 30 weeks. All shrews developed a protruding, ulcerative, or superficial type of squamous-cell carcinoma of the esophagus, accompanied by papillomas. Local invasion was seen in squamous-cell carcinoma but no distant metastasis was noted. None of the 5 control shrews developed any esophageal abnormality. No gastric adenocarcinoma, intestinal sarcoma, or other tumors were induced with MNNG. It can be concluded that MNNG has a carcinogenic effect on shrew esophageal epithelium.