Assessing eco-toxicological effects of industrial 2,4-D acid iso-octylester herbicide on rat pancreas and liver.

We studied the eco-toxic and carcinogenic effects of a commonly used 2,4-D acid iso-octylester herbicide on rat liver and pancreas. The rats in Group 1 were fed a standard feed and the rats in Group 2 were fed with standard feed to which was added 200 mg/kg/day 2,4-D acid iso-octylester for 16 weeks. Azaserine, 30 mg/kg/body weight, was injected into rats of Groups 3 and 4 to investigate the effects of 2,4-D acid iso-octylester on the development of neoplasms. After feeding the rats with neoplasms in Group 4 with food including 200 mg/kg/day 2,4-D acid iso-octylester for 16 weeks, an autopsy was carried out on all animals. We found that 2,4-D acid iso-octylester caused the formation of atypical cell foci (ACF) in the pancreata and livers of rats. ACF that were formed experimentally by exposure to azaserine had increased diameter, volume and number of atypical cell foci/mm(2) and mm(3) after exposure to 2,4-D acid iso-octylester. Our observations indicated that this herbicide potentially is a cancer initiator.

Inhibitory effects of acetylsalicylic acid on exocrine pancreatic carcinogenesis.

We investigated short (6 months) and long (12 months) term inhibitory effects of low (200 ppm) and high (400 ppm) dosages of acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) on exocrine pancreatic carcinogenesis. It is known that exocrine pancreatic carcinogenesis can be detected by the presence of atypical acinar cell foci (AACF) in pancreas. We investigated possible inhibitory effects of acetylsalicylic acid in an azaserine-treated rat model. AACF were produced in rats by injection with azaserine according to previous studies. Our findings showed that the number, volume and diameter of pancreatic AACF were reduced after acetylsalicylic acid application. These observations suggest that acetylsalicylic acid may exert a protective effect against neoplastic development of pancreatic acinar cells in azaserine injected rats. Our findings corroborate reports in the literature concerning the effects of aspirin in reducing neoplastic development.

Possible neoplastic effects of acrylamide on rat exocrine pancreas.

We investigated whether the acrylamide formed during cooking carbohydrate-rich foods at high temperatures causes neoplastic changes in rat pancreas. Azaserine, which is an amino acid derivative that has the ability to initiate neoplastic changes in rat pancreas, was injected into 14-day-old male rats once a week for three weeks. Acrylamide was given to both azaserine-injected and non-injected rats at doses of 5 and 10 mg/kg/day in drinking water for 16 weeks after which tissue slides were prepared from the pancreata. Pancreas weights and body weights of rats treated with azaserine and acrylamide together increased significantly compared to the other groups. Moreover, the size, average diameter and volume of atypical acinar cell foci that developed in the pancreata of rats treated with azaserine and acrylamide together increased significantly compared to rats treated with either azaserine or acrylamide alone and control groups. Atypical acinar cell adenoma or adenocarcinoma was not observed in the pancreata of rats in any group.