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Effect of High-Oleic and High-Linoleic Safflower Oils on Mammary Tumors Induced in Rats by 7,12-Dimethylbenz()anthracene

Research Service, Medical Service, and Laboratory Service, VA Wadsworth Hospital Center, Los Angeles, California 90073; Departments of Medicine and Pathology, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California 90024

A mutant safflower oil, rich in oleic acid, was used for a critical test of the hypothesis that polyunsaturated fats act as co-carcinogens. Weanling female rats were each given 5 mg of 7,12-dimethylbenz()anthracene. They were then pair-fed diets containing 20%, by weight, of conventional high-linoleic safflower oil; a mutant high-oleic safflower oil; or coconut oil. Half of each group received supplementary DL--tocopherol. Tumors were identified by two observers, by palpation. Data on incidence of tumors and on numbers of tumors per affected rat led to similar conclusions. At 16 weeks, there were significant differences when supplementary tocopherol was included in the diet: the group fed high-oleic safflower oil had more tumors than the group fed coconut oil. This difference was not seen in the absence of supplementary tocopherol. When the data for tocopherol-supplemented and unsupplemented subgroups were combined, the high-oleic safflower oil group had significantly more tumors than did the coconut oil group. The high-linoleic safflower oil group was not significantly different from either of the other groups. In all groups, histologic examination of the largest tumor in each rat revealed more benign tumors, mostly duct papillomas, than carcinomas.

KEY WORDS: • carcinogenesis • mammary tumors • polyunsaturated fat • 7,12-dimethylbenz()anthrancene

Manuscript received 10 May 1976.