The kinetics of the protective effect of beta-sitosterol against MNU-induced colonic neoplasia.

The effect of dietary supplementation with beta-sitosterol (0.2% of diet) was followed in Fischer rats after both acute and chronic feeding. Compared to controls after 3 and 7 days, the number of epithelial cells per crypt column in both plant sterol fed groups was shifted to lower values; moreover, fewer cells above cell position 12 were engaged in DNA synthesis. Continued feeding of beta-sitosterol for 28 weeks revealed the number and position of 3HTdR-labeled cells per crypt column after 1 pulse labeling to be similar to that seen in the acute phase. However, differences were more marked after 24 h showing the maximum number of labeled cells per column to be at least 25% less than the untreated group and the leading edge of labeled cells moving more slowly up the crypt wall. Rats treated with N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) intrarectally (8 mg/animal) while simultaneously consuming beta-sitosterol demonstrated a reduction in the size of the proliferative compartment as well as the number of labeled cells per crypt column as compared to rodents receiving just the carcinogen (3.3 and 5.4 mean labeled cells per column, respectively). At this time, MNU-treated rats fed beta-sitosterol had a significantly decreased colonic tumor incidence (Raicht et al. 1980). This plant sterol which passes through the digestive tract relatively unabsorbed appears to slow colonic epithelial cell proliferation resulting in a reduced expression of neoplastic transformation.