Inhibition of spontaneous formation of lung tumors and rhabdomyosarcomas in A/J mice by black and green tea

We investigated the effects of black tea (BT) and green tea (GT) infusion on the spontaneous formation of lung tumors and rhabdomyosarcomas in A/J mice. Female A/J mice, 6 weeks of age, were allocated into five groups (50 per group) and were given the following as the sole source of drinking fluid: (i) deionized water (control group), (ii) 0.5% BT, (iii) 1% BT, (iv) 2% BT and (v) 1% GT. After 60 weeks, the mice were killed by decapitation. Lung tumor incidence, multiplicity and volume were significantly lower in the 2% BT group as compared with the controls (27 versus 52%, 0.33 versus 0.72 tumors/mouse and 4.27 versus 38.3 mm(3), respectively). The 1% GT group had significantly lower lung tumor multiplicity (0.41/mouse), while the 1% BT group had significantly decreased tumor volume (7.17 mm(3)). Rhabdomyosarcomas were found in 34% of the mice in the control group, and both the 1 and 2% BT groups had significantly lower incidences at 13 and 14%, respectively. The mice in the 2% BT group weighed 16% less than those in the control group, although they consumed more food than the control group. The other tea-consuming groups also weighed less than the control group (7.8-11%) while consuming more food and fluid. In a separate experiment, similar carcinogenesis inhibition was also observed in female A/J mice that were given 0.6% and then 0.3% instant black tea for 52 weeks. These results demonstrate the inhibitory activity of BT against the spontaneous formation of lung tumors and rhabdomyosarcomas in mice.