Enhancement of azoxymethane-induced colon carcinogenesis in spontaneously hypertensive rats

The incidence, number, location, and histological types of colon tumors induced by azoxymethane (AOM) and the tissue norepinephrine concentration of the colon wall were investigated in spontaneously hypertensive (SH) rats and in control normotensive Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats. All rats received 10 weekly s.c. injections of AOM. At week 30, the incidence of colon tumors were significantly higher in SH than in WKY rats. Colon tumors were chiefly located in the proximal colon in WKY but were found with significant frequency in the distal colon in SH rats. The colon tumors induced were mainly adenocarcinomas, but no significant difference in histological type of adenocarcinoma was found between the 2 strains of rat. At weeks 8 and 30, the norepinephrine concentration and labelling index of the distal colon, but not of the proximal colon, were significantly higher in SH than in WKY rats. These findings indicate that increased sympathetic nervous system activity enhances the development of colon tumors.