Polyethylene glycol, unique among laxatives, suppresses aberrant crypts foci, by elimination of cells

Background: Polyethylene glycol (PEG), an osmotic laxative, is a very potent inhibitor of colon cancer in rats. In a search for mechanisms, we tested the hypothesis that fecal bulking and moisture decreases colon carcinogenesis. We also looked for PEG effects on crypt cells in vivo. Methods: Fischer 344 rats (N=272) were given an injection of the colon carcinogen azoxymethane. They were then randomized to a standard AIN76 diet containing one of 19 laxative agents (5% w/w in most cases): PEG 8000 and other PEG-like compounds, carboxymethylcellulose, polyvinylpyrrolidone, sodium polyacrylate, calcium polycarbophil, karaya gum, psyllium, mannitol, sorbitol, lactulose, propylene glycol, magnesium hydroxide, sodium phosphate, bisacodyl, docusate, and paraffin oil. Aberrant crypt foci (ACF) and fecal values were measured blindly after a 30-day treatment. Proliferation, apoptosis, and the removal of cells from crypts were studied in control and PEG-fed rats by various methods, including TUNEL and fluorescein dextran labeling. Results: PEG 8000 reduced nine-fold the number of ACF in rats (p<0.001). The other PEGs and magnesium-hydroxide modestly suppressed ACF, but not the other laxatives. ACF number did not correlate with fecal weight or moisture. PEG doubled the apoptotic bodies per crypt (p<0.05), increased proliferation by 25-50% (p<0.05) and strikingly increased (>40-fold) a fecal marker of epitheliolysis in the gut (p<0.001). PEG normalized the percentage of fluorescein dextran labeled cells on the top of ACF (p<0.001). Conclusions: Among laxatives, only PEG afforded potent chemoprevention. PEG protection was not due to increased fecal bulking, but likely to the elimination of cells from precancerous lesions.