Inhibition by 2,4-dinitrophenol of 9,10-dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene carcinogenesis in the hamster cheek pouch.

After topical treatment of cheek pouches of 10 hamsters with 9,10-dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene and 2,4-dinitrophenol for 10 weeks no carcinomas developed in any of the animals. After treatment of 10 animals with the carcinogen only, there were 49 carcinomas in the 8 survivors. Inhibition of chemical carcinogenesis by dinitrophenol was tentatively attributed to suppression of ATP synthesis and to activation of ATPase by dinitrophenol.