Background: 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is produced in large quantities during the processing of food containing carbohydrates and can be metabolised to 5-sulfooxymethylfurfural (SMF), a reactive intermediate that can bind to DNA and cause mutagenic effects.
Materials and methods: Three to six days after birth, multiple intestinal neoplasia (Min/+) mice were given a single subcutaneous injection of either 500 mg/kg body weight (bw) HMF, 25 mg/kg bw SMF or vehicle (0.9 % NaCl), and were euthanised at 12 weeks of age. The number and size of adenomas and flat aberrant crypt foci (ACF) were counted in the intestine.
Results: HMF increased the number of small intestinal adenomas (p=0.033), whereas SMF increased the flat ACF number in the large intestine (p=0.025). Treatment with HMF and SMF had no effect on the size of the adenomas.
Conclusion: These results show that both HMF and SMF are weak intestinal carcinogens in Min/+ mice.