Inhibitory Effect of 2‐0‐Octadecylascorbic Acid in Agglutination Assay with Concanavalin A; Short‐term Examination of Rat Urinary Bladder Carcinogenesis

A derivative of ascorbic acid, 2‐O‐octadecylascorbic acid (CV‐3611), is a strong scavenger of active oxygen species. We examined the effect of CV‐3611 on a short‐term test of bladder Carcinogenesis, using Concanavalin A (Con A) ‐dependent agglutination of isolated bladder epithelial cells. Rats were given 0.01%N ‐butyl‐N(4‐hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine (BHBN) for 1 week, and then 5% sodium saccharin or 2% DL‐tryptophan or 0.01% BHBN alone or with 0.002, 0.006 or 0.02% CV‐3611 for 3 weeks. Treatment with CV‐3611 reduced the effects of the bladder tumor promoters sodium saccharin and DL‐tryptophan by 48–86 and 65–87%, respectively. CV‐3611 also reduced the number of aggregates of bladder epithelial cells from rats treated with BHBN for 4 weeks. These results suggest that CV‐3611 has a suppressive effect on rat bladder Carcinogenesis.