Transplacental Carcinogenisity of a Mixture of Mono-and Di-nitropyrenes in B6C3F₁ Mice

Abstract

The carcinogenicity of a mixture of 1-nitropyrene and a small amount of 1, 3-, 1, 6-and 1, 8-dinitropyrenes (NP-mix) was examined in 266 (C57BL/ 6N×C3H/ HeN) F1 mice. Pregnant C57BL/ 6N mice were given a single intraperitoneal injection of NP-mix at a dose of 0, 20, 40, 50 or 100mg/kg body weight on the 15th day after gestation. Abortions were frequently observed in pregnant mice received injection of NP-mix. Offspring, B6C3F₁ mice, from pregnant mice administered 20 or 40mg/kg b. w. NP-mix significantly (p<0.05) induced pulmonary adenomas and adenocarcinomas at 18 months of age. The results suggest that the transplacental exposure to NP-mix causes lung tumorigenesis in B6C3F₁ mice.