| Abstract: |
A dry powder of betel nuts, piper betel leaves and lime was administered to\b rats\b. \bEpidermal thickening was frequently observed in the upper digestive tracts\b of rats in groups fed the betel nut diet mixed with lime and the betel leaves diet, and a forestomach papilloma was seen in 1 rat given betel leaves diet. These epidermal changes were scarcely seen in rats given either betel nut or normal diet alone. pg 385 It seems likely that the appearance of epidermal thickening in the esophagus and forstomach and a papiilloma in the forestomach in rats does not directly mean the carcinogenicity of the betel leaf itself. pg 385 The carcinogenicity of betel quid was not demonstrated in the present study, but it seems that the results of this study represent a carcinogenic hazard for the chewing habit of betel quid.
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