Inhibitory Effects of Butylated Hydroxyanisole on Methylazoxymethanol Acetate-Induced Neoplasia of the Large Intestine and on Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide-Dependent Alcohol Dehydrogenase Activity in Mice

Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), a widely used food additive, previously was found to inhibit various chemical carcinogens. In the present work, BHA, when added to the diet, inhibited the carcinogenic action of methylazoxymethanol (MAM) acetate on the large intestine of female CF1 mice. The effects of BHA on nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+)-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase, a postulated activating enzyme for MAM, were determined. BHA reduced this enzyme activity in vitro in crude tissue preparations of large intestine and liver. The parallel finding of BHA inhibition of MAM acetate carcinogenesis of the large bowel and of NAD+ -dependent dehydrogenase activity lends support to the postulated role of the dehydrogenase activity in activating MAM to an ultimate carcinogenic form. However, BHA has multiple biologic actions so that its inhibitory effect on MAM acetate-induced neoplasia of the large intestine may entail some other mechanism.