Wheat Germ Oil and Tumor Formation

Abstract

Rowntree, 1 , 2 and Dorrance and Ciccone 3 have reported the occurrence of tumors in rats fed wheat germ oil as an adjunct to their regular diet. It was spread on their daily rations in 1 to 4 cc amounts, or administered directly by mouth from pipette. As early as the 60th day of the experiment tumors (sarcomas) were observed in the abdominal cavities of the animals. They were transplanted successfully through as many as 15 successive recipients. It was determined that only ether-extracted oil was potent, and that the flocculent precipitate in the oil, rather than the oil itself was the effective principle.

Rowntree's methods of extracting the oil were considered too hazardous for us to pursue in a hospital caring for scores of patients. Following the suggestion of Dr. Fred R. Weedon (Dept. of Laboratories, Yonkers, N. Y.) we extracted our oil by ether direct, filtered it, and then cleared it of its ether by evaporation, first in an open room and finally in an incubator. Over half the extract was composed of a cloudy precipitate—called “foots” by the oil chemist.

In our first experiment 12 three-month-old rats of Wistar stock were given 1 cc doses of this “foots”-laden oil daily, directly by mouth from a pipette. Twelve control animals were fed “Zygon”—Squibb, an expressed wheat germ oil. Still continued 12 months after its inception this experiment is entirely negative for tumor production in our animals. In our colony of over 500 stock rats, living during this period, only one developed a sarcoma occurring in the abdominal cavity.

In the second experiment 7 rats, 4 to 7 months old, were given intraperitoneal injections of the oil in 1 cc doses, every 10 days, until each had received 10 such injections. Twelve months have elapsed since the beginning of this experiment.