The modifying effects of sinigrin (Sin) and indole-3-carbinol (I3C) on the hepatocarcinogenesis induced by diethylnitrosamine (DEN) were investigated in male ACI/N rats. Rats were divided into six groups: group 1 was given DEN (40 p.p.m.) in the drinking water for 5 weeks, starting at 7 weeks of age; group 2 was treated with DEN and diet containing 1200 p.p.m. Sin; group 3 received DEN and diet containing 1000 p.p.m. I3C; group 4 was given Sin diet alone; group 5 was given I3C diet alone; and group 6 served as controls. The diet containing Sin or I3C was fed to the rats starting at 6 weeks of age until 1 week after the carcinogen exposure. At termination of the experiment (week 29), the incidences of iron-excluding altered foci (11.22 +/- 3.22/cm2) and liver cell tumors (6/12, 50%) and the tumor multiplicity (0.9/rat) in rats of group 2 were significantly smaller than those of group 1 (foci incidence, 48.33 +/- 6.34/cm2, tumor incidence, 10/10, 100%; multiplicity, 9.5/rat) (P less than 0.02). Similarly, the incidence of iron-excluding hepatocellular foci (17.65 +/- 4.67/cm2) and tumor multiplicity (2.4/rat) with a slight reduction of tumor incidence (9/12, 75%) in rats of group 3 were significantly lower than those of group 1 (P less than 0.001). There were no liver cell neoplasms in rats of groups 4, 5 and 6. Thus, Sin and I3C inhibited the hepatocarcinogenesis induced by DEN when they were administered concurrently with the carcinogen.