Abstract
Epidemiological and animal studies on vitamin A and its analogues support the hypothesis that β-carotene can prevent cancer in humans1. However, chemoprevention trials have unexpectedly shown that β-carotene, either alone or in combination with vitamin A or vitamin E, actually increases lung-cancer incidence and mortality in heavy smokers and asbestos workers2,3,4. We find that β-carotene in rat lung produces a powerful booster effect on phase I carcinogen-bioactivating enzymes, including activators of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and that this induction is associated with the generation of oxidative stress. Our findings might explain why β-carotene supplementation increases the risk of lung cancer in smokers.
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Paolini, M., Cantelli-Forti, G., Perocco, P. et al. Co-carcinogenic effect of β-carotene. Nature 398, 760–761 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1038/19655
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/19655
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