DNA damage in isolated hamster and rat pancreas cells by pancreatic carcinogens.

N-Nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine (BOP), N-nitrosobis(2-hydroxypropyl)-amine (BHP) and N-nitroso(2-hydroxypropyl-2-oxopropyl)amine (HPOP) are pancreatic carcinogens in the Syrian golden hamster (SGH) but do not cause pancreatic tumors in rats. In this study, the ability of these three compounds to induce DNA damage in isolated pancreas cells from both species was determined by alkaline elution analysis. BOP was highly potent in SGH cells, causing DNA damage at concentrations as low as 0.5 micrograms/ml, and HPOP, although less potent than BOP, also caused considerable damage. Isolated SGH pancreas cells are thus able to metabolize BOP and HPOP to DNA-damaging species. Of the three compounds tested, only HPOP at higher doses (25-100 micrograms/ml) induced DNA damage in isolated rat pancreas cells. BHP did not damage rat or SGH pancreas cell DNA at concentrations up to 100 micrograms/ml, apparently due to lack of uptake of this compound by the cells. The observed insensitivity to DNA damage in rat cells is consistent with the resistance of the rat pancreas to carcinogenesis by these three compounds. The sensitivity of SGH pancreas cells to BOP- and HPOP-induced DNA damage correlates with the high carcinogenicity of these compounds for the SGH pancreas.