Sucrose enhancement of the early steps of colon carcinogenesis in mice

The association of refined sugars and colorectal cancers andpolyps in three recent case-control studies led us to investigatethe effects of sucrose, fructose and glucose on colonic epithelialproliferation and sensitivity to carcinogenesis. CF1 and C57BL/6Jmice were used; proliferation was assessed as vincristine-accumulatedmitotic figures per crypt section; sensitivity to carcinogenesiswas assessed as the number of aberrant crypt foci (ACF) percolon observed following the colon carcinogen, azoxymethane(AOM, 3 mg/kg and 5 mg/kg). Oral gavages of sucrose and fructosein CF1 mice (10 g/kg) increased colonic proliferation 16 h later(2.8±0.6 and 4.1±0.7 (mean±SEM) accumulatedmitotic figures/crypt section), compared with glucose and water(1.0+0.2 and 0.4±0.1). Sucrose and fructose given 14h prior to the AOM (5 mg/kg) increased the sensitivity of thecolon to carcinogenesis (18.4±1.5 and 13.1±1.8ACF/colon), compared with glucose and water (11.4±2.0and 8.6±1.1). Similar results were observed with C57BL/6Jmice. We conclude that dietary sucrose and fructose may representrisk factors for colorectal cancer through a direct effect ofthe sugars on colonic epithelial proliferation.