The effect of disulfiram on the carcinogenicity of 3,2' dimethyl-4-aminobiphenyl in Syrian golden hamsters and rats

3,2' -Dimethyl-4-aminobiphenyl (DMAB) was administered s.c.to Syrian golden hamsters and CDF rats with and without disulfiramin the diet. In a group of male hamsters given only weekly injectionsof DMAB over a period of 18–22 months, 10 of 25 hamstersdeveloped adenocarcinomas of the small or large intestine. Threehad carcinomas in both the large and small intestine, 3 hadonly colon carcinomas and 4 only small intestinal carcinomas.In the group fed disulfiram and carcinogen, 10 of 25 hamstersdeveloped adenocarcinomas of the colon, but only one carcinomaof the small intestine occurred. Furthermore, the appearanceof intestinal tumors was delayed. Urinary bladder carcinomasoccurred in both groups exposed to DMAB, with the appearancebeing slightly delayed in the group also receiving disulfiram.In male rats given DMAB s.c. once a week for 10 months, theaddition of disulfiram in the diet reduced the incidence ofcancers of the small intestine, similar to the effects in hamsters,but resulted in the occurrence of a small number of bladdercancers. An unusual occurrence was the development of prostaticcarcinoma in rats given DMAB.