CARCINOGENICITY OF N-NITROSODIETHANOLAMINE IN RATS AT 5 DIFFERENT DOSE LEVELS

  • 1 January 1982
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 42  (12) , 5167-5171
Abstract
N-Nitrosodiethanolamine, an N-nitroso compound of environmental significance, was tested for carcinogenicity in male Sprague-Dawley rats at 5 different dose levels. Administration orally in the drinking water of 1.5, 6, 25, 100, or 400 mg N-nitrosodiethanolamine/kg per day was tolerated well. Median total doses administered were between 0.86 g/kg body wt at the highest and 100.3 g/kg body wt at the lowest dose level. Treatment-related tumors were observed in the liver and the nasal cavity. The induction of hepatocellular carcinomas was clearly dose related, low doses also inducing benign lesions. Other liver tumors were of mesenchymal and ductal origin and nasal cavity neoplasms were diagnosed as squamous-cell carcinomas and neuroepitheliomas of the olfactory epithelium. Statistical evaluation of the 1.5-mg/kg dose regimen clearly indicates that even such low doses are carcinogenic. This potent carcinogenic activity is surprising since a high percentage (60-90%) of an administered dose of N-nitrosodiethanolamine is excreted unchanged in the urine. An as yet unidentified metabolite may possess high carcinogenic potential.

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