Potential synergism between five heterocyclic amines at low doses was evaluated in a medium-term liver bioassay system for carcinogens. F344 male rats were given a single i.p. injection of diethylnitrosamine (DEN, 200 mg/kg) and then received test compound(s) in their diet for 6 weeks beginning 2 weeks later. Control groups received DEN or test compound(s) alone. All rats were subjected to two-thirds partial hepatectomy at week 3 and killed at week 8. Compounds tested and reported positive were 3-amino-1,4-dimethyl-5H-pyrido[4,3-b]indole (Trp-P-1, 150 p.p.m.), 2-aminodipyrido[1,2-a:3',2'-d]imidazole (Glu-P-2, 500 p.p.m), 2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (MeIQ, 300 p.p.m.), 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx, 400 p.p.m.). Groups were given each chemical at the carcinogenic dose, or 1/5 or 1/25 of this. Other groups received the five chemicals in combination, each at the 1/5 or 1/25 levels. Enhancing activity was assessed by quantitative analysis of glutathione S-transferase placental form (GST-P) positive foci, the numbers being significantly increased with all chemicals at the highest dose. Trp-P-1, IQ and MeIQ also exerted positive influence even at the 1/5 dose level. Similar results were obtained regarding areas of foci at the highest dose levels, with the exception of Glu-P-2. An increase was also observed for MeIQ at the 1/5 dose. Additive or synergistic effects between the chemicals were evident in the groups given the five chemicals together at both the 1/5 and 1/25 dose levels, development of GST-P positive foic being increased over the sum totals of individual data for the 1/5 or 1/25 dose groups. Thus, carcinogenicity was predicted for all five heterocyclic amines tested in dose-dependent manner in the present system of 8 weeks duration, synergistic effects being apparent especially at the low dose level.

Post-initiation effects of testosterone propionate (TP), alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and ethinyl estradiol (EE) on 3,2'-dimethyl-4-aminobiphenyl (DMAB)-prostate carcinogenesis in F344 rats have been investigated by administration of each hormone individually or either androgen in combination with EE. DMAB plus TP resulted in induction of invasive adenocarcinomas in the lateral and anterior prostate and seminal vesicles, as shown in a previous study, whereas DHT did not exhibit any positive modulation potential. Administration of EE together with TP produced increased carcinoma incidence in the lateral and anterior prostate, from 17 and 28% to 70% and 80%, respectively. Dorsal prostate tumors, all of the non-invasive in situ type, were also evident in 30% of animals receiving both TP and EE. Rats treated with DHT plus EE, however, did not develop tumors. Our experiment thus provides evidence that estrogen may play an important role in prostate carcinogenesis.

3,2′‐Dimethyl‐4‐aminobiphenyl (DMAB), when combined with high doses of testosterone propionate (TP) induces invasive adenocarcinomas with metastatic potential in the rat prostate. The processes underlying this tumor development, including the involvement of atypical hyperplasias, were sequentially investigated in F344 rats. DMAB was given subcutaneously at a dose of 50 mg/kg body weight 10 times at 2‐week intervals. TP was administered chronically (in Silastic tubes) from the beginning of the experiment or after the DMAB administration until termination (week 60). Invasive adenocarcinomas were induced in the lateral and anterior prostate as well as the seminal vesicles. Atypical hyperplasias appeared from an early stage, with the later appearance of cancers being closely associated with such foci of morphological alteration. The findings confirm that combined administration of DMAB and pharmacological doses of TP yields invasive adenocarcinomas in the rat prostate and provide further support for the conclusion that atypical hyperplasias are premalignant lesions.

The potential modifying effects of testosterone propionate (TP) and high-caloric high-fat diet (20% corn oil, HF) on rat accessory sex gland carcinogenesis were investigated. Male F344 rats were treated five times at 4-week intervals with N-methylnitrosourea (MNU) i.v. or N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine (BOP) s.c., each injection following 2 weeks pretreatment with dietary ethinyl estradiol. After completion of this carcinogen administration stage, animal groups received subcutaneous implantation of Silastic tubes filled with 40 mg TP with or without HF for 40 weeks. Carcinomas of the seminal vesicles and/or coagulating glands were induced in 5, 39 and 56% of rats given MNU alone, MNU and TP, and MNU and HF plus TP respectively. No equivalent tumors were found in rats given MNU and HF. In the BOP-treated groups, 11% of animals receiving TP but no HF diet demonstrated seminal vesicle carcinomas and 6% of rats receiving TP plus HF diet had coagulating gland carcinoma. Thus while TP exerted a strong enhancing effect on tumor growth in the seminal vesicles and coagulating glands, high caloric HF did not manifest any significant influence.