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Inhibition of Chemical Carcinogenesis and Tumorigenesis by Selenium

  • Chapter
Essential Nutrients in Carcinogenesis

Abstract

Selenium is effective in inhibiting the incidence and total number of tumors resulting from treatment with various chemical carcinogens. This inhibition occurs both at the initiation and promotion phases of chemical carcinogenesis. At least part of the inhibition of the initiation stage is associated with changes in the metabolism of the parent carcinogen. Studies with 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene suggest that selenium specifically blocks the enzyme(s) responsible for the formation of anti-dihydrodiol epoxide adducts to DNA. Selenium is also effective in reducing the in vitro and in vivo growth of numerous neoplastic cells. However, differences in the sensitivity to selenium are evident in the various tumor cell lines that have been examined. Continuous selenium intake appears to be necessary to maximal inhibition in both models of carcinogenesis. Evidence suggests that selenodiglutathione or some other intermediate in selenium metabolism is responsible for the anticarcinogenic and antitumorigenic properties of this trace element. The mechanism by which selenium produces these effects is unknown, but it may relate to alterations in either RNA transcription or translation. These and other data strongly suggest that selenium is a naturally occurring anticarcinogenic and antitumorigenic agent.

Supported in part by U.S. Public Health Service Grant No. 33699 from the National Cancer Institute and an Alpo Cancer Research Grant.

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Abbreviations

DMBA:

7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Nutritional Sciences, Department of Food Science, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA

    John A. Milner

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  1. John A. Milner
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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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Milner, J.A. (1986). Inhibition of Chemical Carcinogenesis and Tumorigenesis by Selenium. 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_32

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-1835-4_32

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