The effect of vitamin C on the hamster cheek pouch treated with the water soluble carcinogen 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4NQO)

Vitamin C is an essential nutrient whose protective influence in carcinogenesis has been reported frequently, suggesting that vitamin C inhibits the formation of some carcinogens and decreases the incidence and delays the neoplastic lesions. However, the mechanisms by which this occurs are unknown. In this study, the water soluble carcinogen 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4NQO) has been used to induce a high yield of tumours in the oral cavity either singly or in combination with tobacco. Since the mucosa of rats is less susceptible to carcinogens than the hamster cheek pouch, the hamster cheek pouch has been used to study the influence of vitamin C on 4NQO-induced oral malignancy. The aim of this study was to determine whether topically applied vitamin C had an effect on the oral carcinogenesis induced by application of 4NQO. Similarly, an attempt was made to study the modulating effect of vitamin C on the histopathological and ultrastructural changes during the neoplastic process in the hamster. Vitamin C appeared to delay tumour induction and had other protective effects against neoplasia.