Differential carcinogenic effects of intraperitoneal initiation with 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene or urethane and topical promotion with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate in skin and internal tissues of female SENCAR and BALB/c mice.

Groups of female SENCAR or BALB/c mice were initiated once intraperitoneally with 300 micrograms/mouse of 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA) or 20 mg/mouse of urethane at 7 weeks of age. Beginning one week later, mice received topically applied acetone or 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), once weekly, at 2.5 micrograms/mouse for weeks 1 through 6 and 1.25 micrograms/mouse for weeks 7 through 52. The skin lesions were evaluated clinically. A complete necropsy was performed on all mice at week 52. SENCAR mice exposed to DMBA/TPA and urethane/TPA had more skin tumors than SENCAR mice exposed to DMBA or urethane alone and more than BALB/c mice in any treatment group. Of all skin carcinomas diagnosed histologically in DMBA/TPA-exposed mice, less than one-third had been identified clinically while the mice were alive. Most of the carcinomas arose within papillomas. BALB/c mice developed more vascular and uterine tumors than did SENCAR mice injected with DMBA and more lung and vascular tumors than did SENCAR mice injected with urethane. TPA exposure after treatment with either initiator had no significant effect on internal tumor development in either SENCAR or BALB/c mice.