The relationship between the chemical structure of
nitrosamines and their carcinogenic activity has been examined in Syrian golden hamsters in parallel with similar studies in rats to aid in explaining the sharp interspecies differences in response to these compounds. The relationship between the beta-oxidized N-propyl-
nitrosamine structure and the induction of
tumors of the pancreatic duct in Syrian golden hamsters was investigated by administration of a number of asymmetric acyclic
nitrosamines containing that structure to female hamsters for 29-50 weeks. N-Nitroso-2-oxopropyl-2-hydroxyethylamine (OPE), N-nitroso-2-hydroxypropyl-2-hydroxyethylamine (NIEA), and N-nitroso-2,3-dihydroxypropyl-2-oxopropylamine (DHPOP) induced pancreatic
tumors. OPE also induced a high incidence of
liver neoplasms, and a number of animals given NIEA and N-nitrosoallyl-2-oxopropylamine (
NAOP) also had
liver neoplasms. N-Nitroso-2,3-dihydroxypropyl-2-hydroxyethylamine was very weakly carcinogenic. N-Nitroso-2,3-dihydroxypropyl-2-hydroxypropylamine and DHPOP induced a high incidence of
neoplasms of the forestomach (mainly
papillomas).
N-Nitrosoallyl-2,3-dihydroxypropylamine, N-nitrosoallyl-2-hydroxypropylamine, and
NAOP induced primarily
neoplasms of the nasal mucosa but no
neoplasms of the pancreatic ducts in hamsters.