Carcinogenicity of diethylnitrosamine in newborn,infant, and adult mice

Summary Modifying effects of age, sex, and mouse strain on diethylnitrosamine (DEN) carcinogenesis have been investigated in C57BL/6Jx C3HeB/FeJ F₁ (B6C3F₁) and C3HeB/FeJxA/J F₁ (C3AF₁) hybrid mice. Animals each received four IP injections of 1.5 or 3.0 g DEN/g body weight. The first injections were administered on days 1, 15, or 42 of life. Subsequent treatments were delivered at 3-, 6-, and 6-day intervals, respectively. Mice were kept under observation for the remaining life-span. DEN treatment induced tumors in liver, lungs, and forestomach in descending order of frequency. The majority of the induced liver tumors were hepatocellular carcinomas. Animals treated as newborns and infants developed significantly more liver tumors than animals that were treated as young adults. Newborn and infant females developed liver tumors at a later age (B6C3F₁) and with a lower incidence (C3AF₁) than similarly treated males. The B6C3F₁ mice developed more hepatocellular carcinomas and a higher rate of pulmonary metastases than the C3AF₁ mice. In contrast, C3AF₁ mice developed lung tumors with a higher incidence and multiplicity than B6C3F₁ hybrids. Forestomach tumors were observed also with a slightly but significantly higher incidence in C3AF₁ mice.Dedicated to Professor Hermann Druckrey on the occasion of his 80th birthdayThese investigations have been supported in part by Contracts NIH-NCI-69-2087 and NO1-CO-43317 from the National Cancer Institute