TRANSMATERNAL VARIATION OF BERENBLUM EXPERIMENT WITH NMRI-MICE - TUMOR INITIATION WITH DMBA VIA MOTHERS MILK FOLLOWED BY PROMOTION WITH PHORBOL ESTER TPA

DMBA [dimethylbenzanthracene] which is applied transmaternally via the mother''s milk can initiate tumor cells in the F1 generation. Subsequent application of the tumor promoter TPA [12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate] to the back skin of the young animals induced the formation of skin papillomas and carcionomas. Animals treated according to this scheme also developed malignant neoplasms in the other organs. Control animals treated with DMBA alone rarely developed tumors, whereas treatment with TPA alone had no effect. This variation of the Berenblum-experiment suggests that the transfer of carcinogens in human milk should be considered in addition to transplacental carcinogen transfer as a potential hazard to the developing human infant.