Effect of germanium on 1,2-dimethylhydrazine-induced intestinal cancer in rats

Through recent research, the trace element, germanium, was found to have an anticancer effect. The purpose of this research was to determine the effect of germanium on 1,2-dimethylhydrazine-induced intestinal cancer in rats. Ninety-six 8-week-old Sprague-Dawley male rats were divided into 4 groups, with 24 rats in each group. All received dimethylhydrazine, 20 mg/kg body weight, subcutaneously, once a week for 20 weeks. Except for one control group, the other three groups were subdivided into six groups and administered three different kinds of germanium (inorganic germanium, organic germanium, and natural organic germanium) one month before and during dimethylhydrazine treatment, and during dimethylhydrazine treatment, respectively. Twenty-four weeks after carcinogen exposure, all surviving animals were sacrificed and examined for intestinal tumors. The number and location of the tumors were recorded and the pathology examined. The incidence of intestinal cancer in the control group (dimethylhydrazine only) was 91 percent; in groups provided with inorganic germanium one month before and during dimethylhydrazine treatment, and during dimethylhydrazine treatment only, it was 91 and 78 percent; in groups provided with organic germanium one month before and during dimethylhydrazine treatment, and during dimethylhydrazine treatment only, it was 64 and 64 percent; in groups provided with natural organic germanium one month before and during dimethylhydrazine treatment and during dimethylhydrazine treatment only, it was 50 and 45 percent. From these results, the authors conclude that natural organic germanium has the best prevention effect for intestinal cancer in this animal model (P less than 0.01), followed by organic germanium (P less than 0.05). Inorganic germanium has no effect. However, there is no difference in the cancer prevention effect of germanium provided one month before and during dimethylhydrazine treatment, and during dimethylhydrazine treatment only.