Inhibitory effect of dietary selenium on carcinogenesis in rat glandular stomach induced by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine.

The influence of dietary selenium on the incidence of stomach carcinoma induced by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine was studied in 108 rats that survived for over 10 wk. The incidence of glandular stomach cancer in the high-selenium (4.0 ppm) diet group (20 carcinomas in 54 rats) was lower than in the low-selenium (0.1 ppm) diet group (33 carcinomas in 54 rats). The selenium level and glutathione peroxidase activity in the blood, liver, and stomach mucosa were significantly higher in the high-selenium diet group than in the low-selenium diet group. Glutathione peroxidase activity as well as the concentration of selenium in the glandular stomach was increased significantly in the high-selenium diet group.