Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2007 Sep;115(9):1293-7.
doi: 10.1289/ehp.10271.

Life-span exposure to low doses of aspartame beginning during prenatal life increases cancer effects in rats

Morando Soffritti  1 , Fiorella Belpoggi, Eva Tibaldi, Davide Degli Esposti, Michelina Lauriola
Affiliations

Life-span exposure to low doses of aspartame beginning during prenatal life increases cancer effects in rats

Morando Soffritti et al. Environ Health Perspect. 2007 Sep.

Abstract

Background: In a previous study conducted at the Cesare Maltoni Cancer Research Center of the European Ramazzini Foundation (CMCRC/ERF), we demonstrated for the first time that aspartame (APM) is a multipotent carcinogenic agent when various doses are administered with feed to Sprague-Dawley rats from 8 weeks of age throughout the life span.

Objective: The aim of this second study is to better quantify the carcinogenic risk of APM, beginning treatment during fetal life.

Methods: We studied groups of 70-95 male and female Sprague-Dawley rats administered APM (2,000, 400, or 0 ppm) with feed from the 12th day of fetal life until natural death.

Results: Our results show a) a significant dose-related increase of malignant tumor-bearing animals in males (p < 0.01), particularly in the group treated with 2,000 ppm APM (p < 0.01); b) a significant increase in incidence of lymphomas/leukemias in males treated with 2,000 ppm (p < 0.05) and a significant dose-related increase in incidence of lymphomas/leukemias in females (p < 0.01), particularly in the 2,000-ppm group (p < 0.01); and c) a significant dose-related increase in incidence of mammary cancer in females (p < 0.05), particularly in the 2,000-ppm group (p < 0.05).

Conclusions: The results of this carcinogenicity bioassay confirm and reinforce the first experimental demonstration of APM's multipotential carcinogenicity at a dose level close to the acceptable daily intake for humans. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that when life-span exposure to APM begins during fetal life, its carcinogenic effects are increased.

Keywords: Sprague-Dawley; artificial sweeteners; aspartame; carcinogenicity; lymphomas/leukemias; mammary cancers; prenatal exposure.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Effects of APM exposure on feed consumption, body weight, and survival. Mean daily feed consumption in males (A) and females (B). (C) Mean body weights in males (M) and females (F). Survival in males (D) and females (E). Arrows indicate the start of the experiment.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Cumulative prevalence of death by age in female rats bearing hemolymphoreticular neoplasias. (A) Postnatal APM exposure. (B) Prenatal APM exposure. Arrows indicate the start of the experiment.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

  • Carcinogenicity of aspartame in rats not proven.
    Magnuson B, Williams GM. Magnuson B, et al. Environ Health Perspect. 2008 Jun;116(6):A239-40; author reply A240. doi: 10.1289/ehp.10881. Environ Health Perspect. 2008. PMID: 18560494 Free PMC article. No abstract available.

References

    1. American Dietetic Association. Position of the American Dietetic Association: use of nutritive and nonnutritive sweeteners. J Am Diet Assoc. 2004;104:225–275. - PubMed
    1. Aspartame Information Center. Aspartame Information Center Homepage. 2005. [accessed 27 October 2005]. Available: http://www.aspartame.org.
    1. Belpoggi F, Soffritti M, Bua L, Guarino M, Lambertini L, Cevolani D, et al. Results of long-term experimental studies on the carcinogenicity of ethylene-bis-dithiocarba-mate (Mancozeb) in rats. Ann NY Acad Sci. 2002a;982:123–136. - PubMed
    1. Belpoggi F, Soffritti M, Maltoni C. Methyl-tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE), a gasoline additive, causes testicular and lymphohaematopoietic cancers in rats. Toxicol Ind Health. 1995;11:119–149. - PubMed
    1. Belpoggi F, Soffritti M, Minardi F, Bua L, Cattin E, Maltoni C. Results of long-term carcinogenicity bioassays on tert-amyl-methyl-ether (TAME) and di-isopropyl-ether (DIPE) in rats. Ann NY Acad Sci. 2002b;982:70–86. - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources