Induction and growth of mammary tumors after superior cervical ganglionectomy in sighted and blinded-anosmic rats

Female rats were subjected to superior cervical ganglionectomy (Gx), blinding and anosmia (BAs) or combined procedures (BAsGx). Onset and growth of dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DBMA)-induced mammary tumors was studied in these animals and compared to tumorigenesis in intact control rats. Carcinostatic effects were present in all surgically altered animals, as evidenced by a trend toward reduced tumor incidence, reduced final tumor mass, and a significant reduction in mean number of tumors in Gx and BAsGx rats, and increased regression of tumors in BAs rats compared to intact group. Reduced tumorigenesis was paralleled by a trend toward either an increase (BAs) or a decrease (Gx and BAsGx) in the activity of pineal hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase (HIOMT) compared to intact group. In addition, BAs and BAsGx animals showed a significant reduction in body weight. These results suggest that Gx reduces mammary tumorigenesis in both sighted and BAs rats. They further confirm the findings of others on reduced mammary tumorigenesis in BAs rats. Possible involvement of multiple carcinostatic mechanisms in different animal models is discussed.