Carcinogenic effect of 2,2'-dimethyldipropylnitrosamine in Syrian hamsters.

Oxidation at the beta carbon occurred in metabolism of di-n-propylnitrosamine (DPN), previously shown to be carcinogenic for animals. When 2,2'-dimethyldipropylnitrosamine (DMDPN) was injected sc once a week for life into male and female Syrian hamsters at levels of 500, 250, 125, and 62.5 mg/kg body weight, it induced neoplasms in the nasal cavities, larynx, trachea, and stem bronchi. Since the presence of a methyl group on the beta carbon suggested that DMDPN could not undergo beta oxidation, the carcinogenicity of DPN for these portions of the respiratory tract was probably unrelated to beta oxidation, though earlier experiments had indicated the possibility of this mechanism. Because DMDPN failed to induce neoplasms in other organs, the carcinogenicity of DPN or its beta metabolites for the lungs, liver, pancreas, and kidneys was not explained by this experiment.