[Inhibitive effects of spirulina on aberrant crypts in colon induced by dimethylhydrazine]

Precancerous pathological changes of colon was induced by single injection in a short-term and multiple injection in a long-term intraperitoneally with 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) in NIH mice and Sprague-Dawley rats. And, protective effects of spirulina, germanium-132 and vitamin E on colon aberrant crypts induced by DMH were observed. Results showed either single injection or multiple injection with DMH could induce aberrant crypts in colon. The number of aberrant crypts scattered by short-term single injection was less than that by multiple one, and less of the aberrant crypts foci were formed by short-term single injection. Spirulina powder, germanium-132 and vitamin E all could inhibit the function of aberrant crypts of colon. In the ninth week during multiple injection with DMH, a lot of aberrant crypts of colon had been induced, and a certain amount of aberrant crypts foci had been generated. The number of aberrant crypts and aberrant crypts foci in the animals with tumor increased with the length of DMH injection. In the ninth-, 13th- and 16th-week, respectively, the number of aberrant crypts and aberrant crypts foci was significantly less in animals protected by spirulina than in positive controls (P < 0.01), but there was no significant difference between them during 21st- and 24th-week of injections.