Chemoprevention by galanin against colon carcinogenesis induced by azoxymethane in Wistar rats.

The effects of the neuropeptide galanin on the development of colon tumors induced by azoxymethane (AOM) and on the labeling index of colon epithelial cells were investigated in Wistar rats. Treatment with galanin significantly decreased the incidence of colon tumors at week 45. Galanin did not influence the histological appearance of the colon tumors, but it slightly increased the frequency of sub-mucosal adenocarcinomas. Furthermore, it significantly decreased the labeling index of colon mucosa during and after AOM treatment. These findings indicate that galanin inhibited the development of colon tumors and that this effect may be related to its suppression of colon-epithelial-cell proliferation.