Inhibition of experimental gastric carcinogenesis, induced by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine in rats, by sodium nitroprusside, a nitric oxide generator.

The effects of prolonged administration of sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a generator of nitric oxide (NO), on gastric carcinogenesis induced by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) and the labelling index of the gastric mucosa were investigated in male Wistar rats. The rats received intra-peritoneal injections of 2 or 4 mg/kg body weight of SNP every other day after 25 weeks' oral treatment with the carcinogen. Prolonged administration of SNP at 4 mg/kg body weight, but not at 2 mg/kg body weight, significantly decreased the incidence of gastric cancers in experimental week 52. However, it did not affect the histological types or depths of involvement of gastric cancers. SNP at 4 mg/kg body weight, but not at 2 mg/kg body weight, also significantly decreased the bromodeoxyuridine labelling index of the antral epithelial cells. These findings indicate that SNP inhibits gastric carcinogenesis and suggest that this effect may be related to the suppression of proliferation of the antral epithelial cells.