Influence of dietary fat and selenium in initiation and promotion of aflatoxin B1-induced preneoplastic foci in rat liver.

Aflatoxin B1-induced hepatic gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase-positive foci were quantified in rats fed different levels of fat and selenium during either initiation or early promotion. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 12 groups. One of six experimental diets were fed to groups 1-6 prior to and during aflatoxin B1 exposure (initiation, weeks 1-4.5) and to groups 7-12 during weeks 4.5-15 (promotion). The six experimental diets contained 2 or 20% corn oil, each with either less than 0.02, 0.15 or 2.5 (or 1.9) p.p.m. selenium. When not fed the experimental diets, rats were fed a modified AIN-76A diet. In groups 1-6, 0.03% phenobarbital was added as a promoter to the AIN-76A diet. Individual and interactive effects of selenium and fat were dependent on the stage of carcinogenesis. High dietary fat fed with either less than 0.02 or 0.15 p.p.m. selenium during initiation resulted in a significant increase in the number and size of foci when compared with low fat groups. In rats fed 20% fat and 2.5 p.p.m. selenium during initiation, preneoplastic development was reduced below all low fat groups. In contrast, selenium status but not dietary fat level influenced focal formation during promotion. Rats fed less than 0.02 p.p.m. selenium had a significantly greater percentage of liver section occupied by foci than rats fed either 0.15 or 1.9 p.p.m. selenium. Feeding 1.9 p.p.m. selenium during promotion did not afford greater protection above the 0.15 p.p.m. level. Hepatic glutathione peroxidase activity at week 15 was significantly diminished in animals fed less than 0.02 p.p.m. selenium during promotion. Feeding 1.9 p.p.m. selenium when compared with 0.15 p.p.m. did not result in a consistent increase in enzyme activity. Although differences were observed in growth due to dietary treatment, there were no significant correlations between preneoplastic foci and body weight, food consumption or food efficiency. These findings indicate an interaction between dietary fat and selenium during initiation, but not during early promotion. Furthermore, dietary selenium and fat may function by different mechanisms at different stages of carcinogenesis.