Hepatomas were induced in monkeys by the administration of jV-nitrosodiethylamine. An a-fetoprotein, not normally found in adult monkeys, was present in the serum of the majority of the animals with the liver tumor. Frequently, the test for serum a-fetoprotein was positive prior to any histolÃ3gica!evidence of a cancer. With tRNA from Escherichia coli K12W6 or from normal adult monkey liver or ...

N-nitroso compounds, such as N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA), can be formed by the reaction of secondary amines with nitrosating agents, and are suspected to be involved in tumors in humans. NDEA has been considered a weak carcinogen in genotoxic assays probably due to the inefficient nitrosamine activation system that is used and/or to the efficient repair system. In this work, we evaluated the s...

A new viscometric technique, capable of detecting DNA strand breaks and alkali-labile sites by monitoring time-dependent changes of DNA-reduced viscosity, has been used to analyze dose-response curves for the induction of DNA damage in liver of rats treated with single p.o. doses of sixteen N-nitroso compounds. Statistically significant changes of DNA viscometric parameters, which are considere...