Skip to main content
Environmental Health Perspectives logoLink to Environmental Health Perspectives
. 1993 Oct;101(Suppl 3):231–236. doi: 10.1289/ehp.93101s3231

A perspective on nonmutagenic mechanisms in carcinogenesis.

R W Tennant 1
PMCID: PMC1521175  PMID: 8143623

Abstract

Although there is compelling evidence for multiple mutagenic events in the induction of cancers, there is also substantial evidence in support of nonmutagenic mechanisms. It is proposed that the genetic basis of noninduced or spontaneous tumors, as well as cancers induced by nonmutagens, involves heritable changes in the regulation of gene expression.

Full text

PDF
231

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Ames B. N., Gold L. S. Too many rodent carcinogens: mitogenesis increases mutagenesis. Science. 1990 Aug 31;249(4972):970–971. doi: 10.1126/science.2136249. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Ashby J., Tennant R. W. Definitive relationships among chemical structure, carcinogenicity and mutagenicity for 301 chemicals tested by the U.S. NTP. Mutat Res. 1991 May;257(3):229–306. doi: 10.1016/0165-1110(91)90003-e. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bishop J. M. Molecular themes in oncogenesis. Cell. 1991 Jan 25;64(2):235–248. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(91)90636-d. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Cairns J. The origin of human cancers. Nature. 1981 Jan 29;289(5796):353–357. doi: 10.1038/289353a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Cohen S. M., Ellwein L. B. Genetic errors, cell proliferation, and carcinogenesis. Cancer Res. 1991 Dec 15;51(24):6493–6505. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Damm K., Thompson C. C., Evans R. M. Protein encoded by v-erbA functions as a thyroid-hormone receptor antagonist. Nature. 1989 Jun 22;339(6226):593–597. doi: 10.1038/339593a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Drinkwater N. R., Ginsler J. J. Genetic control of hepatocarcinogenesis in C57BL/6J and C3H/HeJ inbred mice. Carcinogenesis. 1986 Oct;7(10):1701–1707. doi: 10.1093/carcin/7.10.1701. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Farber E., Rubin H. Cellular adaptation in the origin and development of cancer. Cancer Res. 1991 Jun 1;51(11):2751–2761. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Fearon E. R., Vogelstein B. A genetic model for colorectal tumorigenesis. Cell. 1990 Jun 1;61(5):759–767. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(90)90186-i. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Haseman J. K., Huff J. E., Rao G. N., Arnold J. E., Boorman G. A., McConnell E. E. Neoplasms observed in untreated and corn oil gavage control groups of F344/N rats and (C57BL/6N X C3H/HeN)F1 (B6C3F1) mice. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1985 Nov;75(5):975–984. doi: 10.1093/jnci/75.5.975. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Haseman J. K., Rao G. N. Effects of corn oil, time-related changes, and inter-laboratory variability on tumor occurrence in control Fischer 344 (F344/N) rats. Toxicol Pathol. 1992;20(1):52–60. doi: 10.1177/019262339202000107. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Henderson B. E., Ross R. K., Pike M. C. Toward the primary prevention of cancer. Science. 1991 Nov 22;254(5035):1131–1138. doi: 10.1126/science.1957166. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Issemann I., Green S. Activation of a member of the steroid hormone receptor superfamily by peroxisome proliferators. Nature. 1990 Oct 18;347(6294):645–650. doi: 10.1038/347645a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Loeb L. A. Endogenous carcinogenesis: molecular oncology into the twenty-first century--presidential address. Cancer Res. 1989 Oct 15;49(20):5489–5496. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Reynolds S. H., Stowers S. J., Patterson R. M., Maronpot R. R., Aaronson S. A., Anderson M. W. Activated oncogenes in B6C3F1 mouse liver tumors: implications for risk assessment. Science. 1987 Sep 11;237(4820):1309–1316. doi: 10.1126/science.3629242. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Solomon E., Borrow J., Goddard A. D. Chromosome aberrations and cancer. Science. 1991 Nov 22;254(5035):1153–1160. doi: 10.1126/science.1957167. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Tennant R. W., Elwell M. R., Spalding J. W., Griesemer R. A. Evidence that toxic injury is not always associated with induction of chemical carcinogenesis. Mol Carcinog. 1991;4(6):420–440. doi: 10.1002/mc.2940040604. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Totter J. R. Spontaneous cancer and its possible relationship to oxygen metabolism. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1980 Apr;77(4):1763–1767. doi: 10.1073/pnas.77.4.1763. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Weinberg R. A. Tumor suppressor genes. Science. 1991 Nov 22;254(5035):1138–1146. doi: 10.1126/science.1659741. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Environmental Health Perspectives are provided here courtesy of National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

RESOURCES