Abstract
To examine the association between methane (CH4) excretion and experimental colonic carcinogenesis, we measured CH4 excretion in rats treated with the colonic carcinogen azoxymethane (AOM, 7 mg/kg weekly for 10 weeks) and paired controls. CH4 excretion was not initially detected in either experimental or control groups, but all animals acquired positive CH4 excretion status by time of sacrifice (week 26). There was no difference between groups or among AOM-treated animals with and without tumors in the median time to onset of detectable CH4 excretion or in the amount of CH4 excreted. Our results fail to provide support for a link between CH4 excretion and experimental colonic dysplasia or adenocarcinoma.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bond JH, Engel RR, Levitt MD: Factors influencing pulmonary methane excretion in man. J Exp Med 133:572–588, 1971
Haines A, Metz G, Dilawari J, Blendis L, Wiggins M: Breath methane in patients with cancer of the large bowel. Lancet 2:481–483, 1977
Pitt P, De Bruijn KM, Beeching MF, Goldberg E, Blendis LM: Studies on breath methane: The effect of ethnic origins and lactulose. Gut 21:951–959, 1980
McKay LF, Eastwood MA, Byrdon WG: Methane excretion in man—a study of breath, flatus, and faeces. Gut 26:69–74, 1985
Piqué JM, Pallarés M, Cusó E, Vilar-Bonet J, Gassull MA: Methane production and colon cancer. Gastroenterology 87:601–605, 1984
Karlin DA, Jones RD, Stroehlein JR, Mastromarino AJ, Potter GD: Breath methane excretion in patients with unresected colorectal cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst 69:573–576, 1982
Karlin DA, Mastromarino AJ, Jones RD, Stroehlein JR, Lorentz O: Fecal skatole and indole and breath methane and hydrogen in patients with large bowel polyps or cancer. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 109:135–141, 1985
Hoff G, Bjorneklett A, Moen IE, Jenssen E: Epidemiology of polyps in the rectum and sigmoid colon. Evaluation of breath methane and predisposition for colorectal neoplasia. Scand J Gastroenterol 21:193–198, 1986
Segal I, Walker ARP, Lord S, Cummings JH: Breath methane and large bowel cancer risk in contrasting African populations. Gut 29:608–613, 1988
Peled Y, Weinberg D, Hallak A, Gilat T: Factors affecting methane production in humans. Gastrointestinal diseases and alterations of colonic flora. Dig Dis Sci 32:266–271, 1987
LaMont JT, O'Gorman TA. Experimental colon cancer. Gastroenterology 75:1157–1169, 1978
Autrup H, Williams GM (eds): Experimental Colon Carcinogenesis. Boca Raton, Florida, CRC Press, 1983.
Hamilton SR, Hyland, JH, McAvinchey D, Chaudhry Y, Hartka L, Kim HT, Cichon P, Floyd J, Turjman N, Kessie G, Nair PP, Dick J: Effects of chronic dietary beer and ethanol consumption on experimental colonic carcinogenesis by azoxymethane in rats. Cancer Res 47:1551–1559, 1987
Eckman JR, Modler S, Eaton JW, Berger E, Engel RR: Host heme catabolism in drug-sensitive and drug-resistant malaria. J Lab Clin Med 90:767–770, 1977
Sokal RR, Rohlf FJ: Biometry: The Principles and Practice of Statistics in Biological Research, 2nd ed. San Francisco, WH Freeman, 1981
Perman JA: Methane and colorectal cancer. Gastroenterology 87:728–730, 1984
Perman JA, Modler S: Glycoproteins as substrates for production of hydrogen and methane by colonic bacterial flora. Gastroenterology 83:388–393, 1982
Weaver GA, Krause JA, Miller TL, Wolin MJ: Incidence of methanogenic bacteria in a sigmoidoscopy population: An association of methanogenic bacteria and diverticulosis. Gut 27:698–704, 1986
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Supported by the Clayton Fund.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Flick, J.A., Hamilton, S.R., Rosales, F.J. et al. Methane excretion and experimental colonic carcinogenesis. Digest Dis Sci 35, 221–224 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01536766
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01536766