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Aflatoxin B₁, a Hepatocarcinogen in the Infant Mouse¹

Departments of Radiology [S. D. V., N. M., K. V. N. R.], and Pathology [L. S. L.], The Pritzker School of Medicine, and Argonne Cancer Research Hospital [S. D. V.], The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, and Department of Nutrition and Food Science [G. N. W.], Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139

Aflatoxin B₁ has been administered to newborn and infant C57BL x C3H F₁ mice for a further evaluation of its hepatocarcinogenicity in this species. To date, adult animals have been shown to be relatively refractory.

One-, 4-, or 7-day-old groups of animals were exposed to either single or limited numbers of i.p. injections of aflatoxin B₁. Animals selected at random were sacrificed at 52 and 82 weeks of age.

Newborn animals appeared to be more prone to the lethal effect of aflatoxin B₁ than did the 4- or 7-day-old infants. Male infants developed hepatomas by 52 weeks of age. At 82 weeks, both tumor incidence and tumor mass increased in all male groups. Seven-day-old treated females developed hepatomas, although at a low incidence rate. Thus, it has been demonstrated that aflatoxin B₁ is a potent hepatocarcinogen under the experimental conditions.

It has been concluded that the infant age and the male hormonal environment were factors favorable for the inception and expression of liver neoplasia in mice.

¹ This paper has been presented in part at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research held in Boston, Mass., May 4 to 6, 1972. This investigation has been supported by NIH Grant 69-2087 and USPHS Grant 5-PO6-RR-00409 for the A. J. Carlson Animal Research Facility.

Received 5/18/72. Accepted 7/12/72.

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