E. Jones
Mar 1, 1943
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Journal
Cancer Research
Abstract
The effect of subcutaneous injections of 2,7-dihydroxynaphthalene on the growth of the mammary gland and the formation of its tumors in mice of the C3H and line A albino strains has been investigated. These experiments were undertaken to discover whether the "sparing effect" exerted on estrogens by this chemical would enhance or delay the production of tumors when 2,7-dihydroxynaphthalene was given in addition to estrogen. The activity of 2,7-dihydroxynaphthalene was first described by Pincus (3), who reported that in combination with progesterone stimulation of uterine gland proliferation and growth of ova occurred. He suggested that the action was accomplished through inhibition of progesterone destruction. Naphthalene was also shown to have a definite stimulating effect on the endometrium and was therefore tested for progesterone-like activity. From his experiments he concluded that 2,7-dihydroxynaphthalene is probably not a progestin but rather % presumable degradation product of estrogen of such chemical nature that it still retains a certain amount of estrogenic activity." Pincus and Werthessen (4) analyzed the estrogenic activity and found that 2,7-dihydroxynaphthalene had o.i 4 per cent of the activity of estrone. Smith, Smith, and Schiller (5) suggested that 2,7-dihydroxynaphthalene "enhanced the :estrogenic activity of estrone upon the vaginas of spayed rats probably through a protective action . . . against estrogen destruction." On the assumption that 2,7-dihydroxynaphthalene exerts a "sparing effect" on estrogen by preventing degradation of the hormone, it might be expected that mice receiving this chemical in addition to a given amount of estrogen would react as though they had received a larger amount of estrogen and fail to show the customary reactions to estrogen breakdown prod-