The effect of N-nitrosobis(2-hydroxypropyl)amine on pulmonary neuroepithelial cells in Syrian golden hamsters.

The present study was carried out for determination of the effect of N-nitrosobis(2-hydroxyproyl)amine (BHP) on pulmonary neuroepithelial cells (NECs) in Syrian golden hamsters. This study was also carried out for elucidation of the histologic, histochemical, and ultrastructural features of NECs in the normal lungs of the hamsters. In the normal hamster lungs, NECs occurred exclusively in bronchioles and in bronchi lacking cartilage, appearing in groups as neuroepithelial bodies (NEBs). The number of NEBs was dependent on the age of the animals. Neonatal lungs contained large numbers of NEBs, but these seemed to disappear or remain as inconspicuous cell nests in adult lungs. Chronic BHP exposure (21 weeks) induced subepithelial spherical or fungating nodules composed of proliferating NECs, which projected into the bronchial lumens. The nodules appeared to arise from inconspicuous cell nests, which were rudiments of neonatal NEBs.