The importance of prolonged incubation for the synthesis of dimethylnitrosamine by enterobacteria

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Abstract
Tests with 140 strains representing Escherichia coli, Klebsiella aerogenes, K. ozaenae, Proteus mirabilis, P. vulgaris, P. rettgeri and P. morganii in a defined medium supplemented with 0.09 M dimethylamine (DMA) and 0.1 M KNO3 showed that at least 89% of the 136 strains able to reduce nitrates produced up to 9 mM dimethylnitrosamine (DMN) in 70 h at 37.degree. C. Four nitratase-negative strains produced DMN from DMA in the presence of NaNO3. Prolonged incubation was the most important factor in determining DMN production. Stasis and persistent infection in the urinary tract, by simulating prolonged incubation of a culture, may be of importance in determining whether the potential carcinogen, DMN, could be produced in vivo by bacterial action on DMA and nitrate in urine.

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