Effects of margarine on hepatocarcinogenesis by N,N'-2, 7-fluorenylenebisacetamide in mice

The effect of a safflower margarine on hepatocarcinogenesis by N,N'-2, 7-fluorenylenebisacetamide was compared with that of safflower oil from which the margarine was made. A high-dextrin diet was used as a control for the two high-fat diets. The number of surviving mice in the margarine group at the end of the experiment was significantly lower compared with both the dextrin and the oil groups. A significantly high incidence of hepatic nodules type 2 was observed in the margarine group, whereas most liver tumors in both the dextrin and the safflower oil groups were of HN type 1 (p less than 0.05). Hepatocellular carcinomas were induced in some mice in all the groups. However, no statistical difference was found among the three dietary groups. Thus the difference in the types of the hepatic nodules among the three groups was not reflected in the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma.