Slow-release pellets of sodium butyrate do not modify azoxymethane (AOM)-induced intestinal carcinogenesis in F344 rats

Butyrate exerts anti-tumour effects in vitro, but not consistently in vivo. We previously demonstrated that the administration of slow-release gastro-resistant pellets of sodium butyrate increases apoptosis in the colon mucosa of rats, an effect which may protect against carcinogenesis. Therefore, we studied whether the administration of butyrate pellets could protect rats against experimental colon carcinogenesis. Four to 5 week old male F344 rats were fed a high-fat (HF) diet (230 g/kg corn oil w/w) and treated s.c. with two injections (one week apart) of azoxymethane (AOM) at a dose rate of 15 mg/kg body weight or saline. Rats were then divided into two groups: one group received sodium butyrate pellets mixed into the diet (1.5% w/w) for 33 weeks (150 mg butyrate/day) and the second group received the high-fat diet with no butyrate. Administration of sodium butyrate pellets in the diet did not significantly affect colon carcinogenesis: the number of intestinal tumours/rat was 1.6 ± 0.2 in controls and 2.1 ± 0.2 in butyrate-fed rats (means ± SE; P = 0.22, by ANOVA), while the incidence of intestinal tumours was 79 (23/29) and 90% (27/30) in controls and in butyrate-fed rats, respectively (P = 0.29 by Fisher's exact test). The level of apoptosis in the tumours was not affected by butyrate, nor was the expression of p21^CIP, a cell cycle-related protein. In conclusion, the current study indicates that butyrate does not protect against AOM-induced colon carcinogenesis in rats.