Effects of glyoxal and methylglyoxal administration on gastric carcinogenesis in Wistar rats after initiation with N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine.

Glyoxal and methylglyoxal were tested for tumor-promoting potential in a two-stage stomach carcinogenesis model. Male outbred Wistar rats were initially given N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) in the drinking water (100 mg/l) along with a 10% sodium chloride dietary supplement for 8 weeks. Thereafter, they were returned to basal diet and maintained on drinking water containing no addition or either 0.5% glyoxal or 0.25% methylglyoxal for 32 weeks and then killed for necropsy and histological examination at week 40. Glyoxal treatment significantly increased the incidence of adenocarcinomas in the pylorus of the glandular stomach of rats pretreated with MNNG and sodium chloride. Furthermore, although methylglyoxal did not enhance the development of adenocarcinomas, the incidence of hyperplasias in the pylorus was significantly increased. The results indicate that glyoxal exerts tumor promoting activity on rat glandular stomach carcinogenesis and that methylglyoxal might also have promoting potential.