Influence of Orotic Acid on Liver Tumorigenesis in Rats Ingesting Ethionine, N-2-Fluorenylacetamide, and 3′-Methyl-Dimethylaminoazobenzene2

Abstract

Sprague-Dawley rats were fed diets containing orotic acid, a compound that rapidly induces fatty liver, either before or during the feeding of diets containing ethionine, N-2-fluorenylacetamide (2-FAA), or3′-methyl-4-dimethyl-aminoazobenzene(3′-Me-DAB). Male and female rats on diets with orotic acid either 3 weeks before or during the feeding of ethionine developed fewer liver carcinomas than rats fed ethionine alone. Likewise, male rats given diets containing orotic acid either 3 weeks before or during the feeding of 2-FAA developed fewer liver carcinomas than rats fed 2-FAA alone. However, male rats fed diets with orotic acid before or during the feeding of 3′-Me-DAB developed the same high incidence of liver carcinomas as rats fed 3′-Me-DAB alone.