Promoting effects of sodium L-ascorbate on two-stage urinary bladder carcinogenesis in rats

The promoting effect of sodium L-ascorbate on two-stage urinary bladder carcinogenesis in F344 rats initiated with N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine at levels of 0.01 and 0.05% in drinking water was studied. Administration of 5.0% but not of 1.0% sodium L-ascorbate in the diet significantly increased the incidence and number of preneoplastic lesions, papillary or nodular hyperplasia, papilloma, and cancer of the urinary bladder. In groups given 5.0% sodium L-ascorbate, the urine was characterized by an apparent elevation of pH, a decrease of osmolality, and an increase of MgNH4PO4 crystalline. Addition of sodium L-ascorbate to the diet also resulted in increase in the content of ascorbic acid and its metabolite, dehydroascorbic acid, in the urine. These results show that an extremely high dose of sodium L-ascorbate (5.0%) promotes urinary bladder carcinogenesis under the present experimental conditions, while a high dose (1.0%) does not.