Lack of carcinogenicity of 2-aminofluorene, its glucuronide and the glucuronide of N-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene in heterotopic bladder of the rat.

The role of 2-aminofluorene and its N-glucuronide and the O-glucuronide of N-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene in the bladder carcinogenesis by 2-aminofluorene were investigated. These compounds were injected into heterotopically transplanted bladders of male rats at a weekly dose of 1 mumol for 20 weeks. The experiment was terminated at the end of 50 weeks. The results showed that none of these compounds were carcinogenic in the heterotopically transplanted bladder. The O-glucuronide was not carcinogenic even when it was administered in a phosphate saline (pH 8.0), that favors the activation of this compound. The N-glucuronide of N-hydroxy-2-aminofluorene, a positive control, produced urothelial tumors. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the N-glucuronides of hydroxylamines, but not the O-glucuronides of hydroxamic acids, are responsible for bladder carcinogenesis by arylamines.