Effects of diets imbalanced by an excess of L arginine, L ornithine and L citrulline on experimental tumor metastases

Abstract

The effects of diets imbalanced by an excess of L-arginine and L-ornithine or L-citrulline on experimental tumors were evaluated in rats and compared with the effects of a control diet containing only casein. All three diets: had no inhibitory effects on normal body growth; contributed to the rapid recovery, longer survival time, lower incidence and degree of the local recurrence and metastases of simulated colon cancer, subcutaneous Walker carcinosarcoma, and intraportal dissemination of Yoshida ascites hepatoma; had a suppressive effect on the primary growth of subcutaneous Walker carcinosarcoma; had no definite effect on the mutual adhesiveness and the stickiness to other tissue of the experimental tumor cells. The mechanism of the tumor suppression by the three diets was discussed, and it was suggested that it might primarily be caused by the lack of carbamyl aspartate needed for the tumor to metabolize. (Journal received: 7 August 1974)