Collateral Hyperplasia in Experimental Rat Oncogenesis: Observations During Vitamin A Treatment

The study involved 33 rats inoculated with 10 mg of 3,4-benzpyrene, with 18 of them receiving 1000 I.U. of vitamin A weekly. The results showed that vitamin A treatment led to a reduction in hyperplastic-dysplastic phenomena and hair hypoplasia and hypotrophy, particularly in the skin overlying the tumor. There was also a moderate reduction in epidermal activity, a marked decrease in sebaceous gland hyperplasia and hypertrophy, and increased fibrillogenesis in the tumor capsule. The findings suggest that vitamin A has a dampening effect on collateral hyperplasia in experimental oncogenesis.