Preliminary observations on amines and nitrosamines in non-normal human gastric contents.

Gastric contents from fasting humans were pooled and analysed for amines. Volatile amines present were dimethylamine, trimethylamine and histamine; non-volatile amines found were cadaverine, putrescine, ethanolamine and tryptamine. Gastric contents from 35 patients, some before and/or after gastric stimulation with histamine or pentagastrin, were analysed for nitrosamines. N-Nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA) (5-30 microgram/kg) was present in four samples, N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) (2 microgram/kg) in two samples and N-nitrosopyrrolidine (NPYR) (6 microgram/kg) in one sample. pH, nitrite and nitrate determinations were made on some samples. Medical diagnosis of patients could not be correlated with the presence of nitrosamines in the gastric contents.