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

Abstract

3,2′ -Dimethyl-4-aminobiphenyl (DMAB) was administered s.c. to Syrian golden hamsters and CDF rats with and without disulfiram in the diet. In a group of male hamsters given only weekly injections of DMAB over a period of 18–22 months, 10 of 25 hamsters developed adenocarcinomas of the small or large intestine. Three had carcinomas in both the large and small intestine, 3 had only colon carcinomas and 4 only small intestinal carcinomas. In the group fed disulfiram and carcinogen, 10 of 25 hamsters developed adenocarcinomas of the colon, but only one carcinoma of the small intestine occurred. Furthermore, the appearance of intestinal tumors was delayed. Urinary bladder carcinomas occurred in both groups exposed to DMAB, with the appearance being slightly delayed in the group also receiving disulfiram. In male rats given DMAB s.c. once a week for 10 months, the addition of disulfiram in the diet reduced the incidence of cancers of the small intestine, similar to the effects in hamsters, but resulted in the occurrence of a small number of bladder cancers. An unusual occurrence was the development of prostatic carcinoma in rats given DMAB.