Background: Nowadays, the use of food additives, such as Sunset Yellow (SY), is growing, which attracted attention to the potential relationship between some diseases and food additives.
Aim: The study aimed to investigate the role of Sunset Yellow during chemically-induced mammary gland carcinogenesis in Sprague-Dawley rats.
Material and methods: Three groups of female rats were intraperitoneally administered with N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU). Group 1 was set on a basal diet. Group 2 was treated with 161.4 mg\kg\day Sunset Yellow (SY). Group 3 was given SY at 80.7 mg\kg\day. Groups 4-6 were not administered MNU; Group 4 received vehicles only. Groups 5 and 6 were administered SY similarly to groups 2 and 3 respectively.
Results: Sunset Yellow at both doses exerted a significant dose-dependent increase in tumor incidences, multiplicities, volumes, and decreased tumor latency as compared with control. Immunolabeling indexes of the proliferating cell nuclear antigen, estrogen receptor alpha, and progesterone receptor were significantly increased after SY treatment. Oxidative stress markers, serum estrogen, progesterone, and prolactin levels were significantly modified by SY treatment. The mRNA expression of estrogen receptor alpha and epidermal growth factor was up-regulated in SY groups versus control.
Conclusion: Collectively, SY has significantly promoted MNU-induced mammary tumors in rats with underlying mechanisms correlating SY consumption with estrogen disruption and subsequent antioxidative stress discrepancy.
Keywords: Estrogen; Mammary tumors; Oxidative stress; Progesterone; Prolactin; Sunset yellow (E110).
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