pubmed-article:131427 | pubmed:abstractText | In former studies in rats and mice it was shown that the acute toxicity of dimethylnitrosamine (DMNA) and diethylnitrosamine (DENA) is reduced by additional treatment with tetraethylthiuramdisulfide [(Disulfiram, Antabus (DSF)]. In long-term experiments in 40 rats given 500 mg/kg DSF/week the substance did not show carcinogenic effects, however, influenced the action of the nitrosamines. DENA, which was administered to 38 rats in a dosage of 20 mg/kg/week, induced liver tumors in 90% of the animals; in 29% besides some precancerous stages predominantly malignant carcinomas of the oesophagus were seen. DMNA when given to 31 rats in a dosage of 4 mg/kg/week induced liver tumours in 55% of the animals. 26 rats were treated with a combination of 500 mg/kg DSF/week and 20 mg/kg DENA/week. In only 31% of the animals of this group liver tumors were found, however, 81% of them besides some precancerous stages showed predominantly carcinomas of the oesophagus. The combination of 500 mg/kg DSF/week and 4 mg/kg DMNA/week induced only 1 liver tumor (=3%) out of a group of 29 animals, whereas 59% of them showed squamous cell carcinomas of the paranasal sinus that were not seen when DMNA was given alone. | lld:pubmed |