Azo dyes prevent hydrocarbon-induced leukemia in the rat

A set of intraveous injections of 7,8,12-trimethylbenz[a]anthracene consistently elicited leukemia in more than 75% of young adult Long-Evans female rats. There was a profound reduction in the incidence of leukemia in companion groups of rats fed small amounts (1--10 mg) of Sudan III or Sudan IV prior to each injection of the carcinogenic hydrocarbon. Repeated feedings of 1 mg of Sudan III induced cumulative increases in the concentration of menadione reductase (EC 1.6.99.2) in liver, whereas protein concentration was unchanged. A single feeding of 1 mg of Sudan III prevented fatal toxicity in all members of large groups of rats injected with massive doses of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene, but 50% of the survivors developed leukemia; unprotected rats succumbed in 1--3 days. Sudan III was not carcinogenic under the experimental conditions.