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. 1993 Dec;119(12):717–720. doi: 10.1007/BF01195342

Esophageal carcinoma in house musk shrews,Suncus murinus (insectivora), induced by N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine

Airo Tsubura 1,✉, Hideto Senzaki 1, Hideki Takahashi 1, Tatsuki Oyaizu 1, Sotokichi Morii 1
PMCID: PMC12200720  PMID: 8408184

Abstract

Female 6-week-old shrews were given a solution ofN-methyl-N′-nitroN-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) at a concentration of 50 μg/ml or 100 μg/ml in the drinking water. All 11 shrews receiving 100 μg/ml MNNG died 8–13 days after the beginning of carcinogen administration and 6 of the 20 shrews receiving 50 μg/ml MNNG died after 10–54 days. When animals were between 43 and 54 weeks of age, multiple esophageal lesions were evoked in all 14 that had received 50 μg/ml MNNG for 30 weeks. All shrews developed a protruding, ulcerative, or superficial type of squamous-cell carcinoma of the esophagus, accompanied by papillomas. Local invasion was seen in squamous-cell carcinoma but no distant metastasis was noted. None of the 5 control shrews developed any esophageal abnormality. No gastric adenocarcinoma, intestinal sarcoma, or other tumors were induced with MNNG. It can be concluded that MNNG has a carcinogenic effect on shrew esophageal epithelium.

Key words: Shrew, Suncus murinus, Insectivora, MNNG, Esophageal carcinoma

Abbreviations

MNNG

N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine

ENNG

N-ethyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine

BrdU

5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine

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