Comparative carcinogenesis by hydroxylated nitrosopropylamines in Syrian hamsters.

The relationship between the chemical structure of nitrosamines and their carcinogenic activity has been examined in Syrian golden hamsters in parallel with similar studies in rats to aid in explaining the sharp interspecies differences in response to these compounds. The relationship between the beta-oxidized N-propyl-nitrosamine structure and the induction of tumors of the pancreatic duct in Syrian golden hamsters was investigated by administration of a number of asymmetric acyclic nitrosamines containing that structure to female hamsters for 29-50 weeks. N-Nitroso-2-oxopropyl-2-hydroxyethylamine (OPE), N-nitroso-2-hydroxypropyl-2-hydroxyethylamine (NIEA), and N-nitroso-2,3-dihydroxypropyl-2-oxopropylamine (DHPOP) induced pancreatic tumors. OPE also induced a high incidence of liver neoplasms, and a number of animals given NIEA and N-nitrosoallyl-2-oxopropylamine (NAOP) also had liver neoplasms. N-Nitroso-2,3-dihydroxypropyl-2-hydroxyethylamine was very weakly carcinogenic. N-Nitroso-2,3-dihydroxypropyl-2-hydroxypropylamine and DHPOP induced a high incidence of neoplasms of the forestomach (mainly papillomas). N-Nitrosoallyl-2,3-dihydroxypropylamine, N-nitrosoallyl-2-hydroxypropylamine, and NAOP induced primarily neoplasms of the nasal mucosa but no neoplasms of the pancreatic ducts in hamsters.