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Ethionine in the Analysis of the Possible Separate Roles of Methionine and Choline Deficiencies in Carcinogenesis

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Essential Nutrients in Carcinogenesis

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Abstract

The importance of ethionine, the ethyl analogue of methionine, as a metabolic probe to study the possible roles of methionine and choline in liver carcinogenesis has been briefly reviewed. Ethionine-induced liver carcinogenesis is similar in many aspects, including initiation, promotion, and progression, to carcinogenesis with other agents. However, the special role of methionine in preventing virtually all metabolic and pathologic effects of ethionine, including liver cancer, places ethionine in a special position. On the basis of these observations and our current knowledge about choline deficiency in the genesis of liver cancer, we proposed that choline and methionine play separate but overlapping roles in the initiation and promotion of liver carcinogenesis.

Supported in part by grants from the U.S. Public Health Service (CA 21157, CA 23958, and CA 37077 from the National Cancer Institute), Medical Research Council of Canada (MT-5994)‚ and National Cancer Institute of Canada.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8, Canada

    Amiya K. Ghoshal, D. S. R. Sarma & Emmanuel Farber

Authors
  1. Amiya K. Ghoshal
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  2. D. S. R. Sarma
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  3. Emmanuel Farber
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Comparative Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Institute, Frederick Cancer Research Facility, Frederick, Maryland, USA

    Lionel A. Poirier

  2. Department of Pathology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Paul M. Newberne

  3. Food Research Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA

    Michael W. Pariza

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© 1986 Plenum Press, New York

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Ghoshal, A.K., Sarma, D.S.R., Farber, E. (1986). Ethionine in the Analysis of the Possible Separate Roles of Methionine and Choline Deficiencies in Carcinogenesis. In: Poirier, L.A., Newberne, P.M., Pariza, M.W. (eds) Essential Nutrients in Carcinogenesis. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-1835-4_21

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-1835-4_21

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  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-9025-4

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