Carcinoma dimethylnitrosamine

Both isomers of dimethylhydrazine have been shown to be carcinogenic in rodents following chronic oral exposure and 6-mon inhalation exposure to 1,1-dimethylhydrazine. Increased tumor incidence was observed in mice, although these findings are compromised by the contaminant exposure to dimethylnitrosamine. An increased incidence of lung tumors and hepatocellular carcinomas was also seen in rats but not in similarly exposed hamsters. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) inhalation slope factors are currently unavailable for dimethylhydrazine. 

Inhalation studies at the U.S. Air Force Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory showed an increased tumor response (hemangiosarcomas and Kupffer cell sarcomas) in mice exposed at 5 ppm, 6 h/d, 5 d/w for 6 mon (MacEwen and Vernot 1977, and Flaun 1977, reviewed in Trochimowicz 1994). Rats similarly exposed at 5 ppm exhibited increased incidences of squamous cell carcinomas of the lung and hepatocellular carcinomas. Hamsters subjected to a similar experimental protocol failed to show an increased incidence of tumors (MacEwen and Vernot 1975). It must be noted that the 1,1-dimethylhydrazine used in these studies contained 0.12% dimethylnitrosamine, which could be a significant confounder. 

Both benign and malignant liver tumors may arise from exposure to hepatotoxins and can be derived from various cell types. Thus, adenomas have been associated with the use of contraceptive steroids and exposure to aflatoxin Bi, and dimethylnitrosamine can produce hepatocellular carcinomas, whereas vinyl chloride causes hemangiosarcomas derived from the vasculature (see chap. 7). 

Figure 2. Incidence of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in rats fed diets containing Dimethylnitrosamine.

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