Lower respiratory tract tumours in Syrian golden hamsters after intratracheal instillations of diethylnitrosamine alone and with ferric oxide

Abstract

A total of 37 tumours of the lower respiratory tract (bronchi, bronchioli and alveoli) was observed in 62 male and female Syrian golden hamsters following 15 weekly intratracheal instillations of diethylnitrosamine (DENA) alone. The number of tumours in this segment of the respiratory system was 3 times higher when ferric oxide was administered simultaneously with DENA (107 neoplasms in a total of 62 animals examined). The neoplastic response of the lower respiratory tract mainly consisted of adenomas in the bronchiolo-alveolar region, although bronchial papillomas and a few peripheral carcinomas were also observed.

The well-known, marked carcinogenic effect of DENA on the upper respiratory tract of the Syrian golden hamster was confirmed.