[Promoting effect of Roussin red methyl ester (RRME) in the pickled vegetables in Linxian County on the forestomach epithelium of mice].

The promoting effect of Roussin red methyl ester (RRME) identified and isolated in the pickled vegetables from Linxian county, a high incidence area of esophageal cancer, was studied in mice. In the mice fed on RRME alone, no pathological lesions were detected in the esophagus and forestomach. Other mice, intubated with N-methyl-N-benzyl-nitrosamine (NMBzA) for 3 times, were then given gastric doses of RRME. 8 out of 36 mice were found to have papilloma of the forestomach, the incidence of papilloma was 22.2%. By histological examination, 51.7% of grade II precancerous lesions in the epithelium of forestomach was found. One other group of mice was intubated with NMBzA only for 3 times, then followed until the end of experiment. 3 out of 21 mice were found to have papilloma of the forestomach, an incidence of 14.3%. 21.1% of grade II precancerous lesions was found in the epithelium of forestomach. The experimental results show that RRME appears to have a promoting effect on the process of tumorigenesis initiated by NMBzA in the forestomach of mice. The promoting effect of RRME on the multisteps of the development of esophageal cancer in Linxian county is discussed.