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Respiratory Tract Tumors in Hamsters after Intratracheal Instillations of Benzo(a)pyrene Alone and with Furfural¹

Central Institute for Nutrition and Food Research TNO, Utrechtseweg 48, Zeist, The Netherlands

Three groups of young adult Syrian golden hamsters, each consisting of 35 males and 35 females, received 36 weekly intratracheal instillations of furfural, benzo(a)pyrene (BP), and BP + furfural, respectively. The control group, which consisted of 35 males, received 0.9% NaCl solution but was otherwise similarly treated. For some interim information, 3 males from the control group and 3 males and 3 females from each of the other groups were killed and autopsied at Week 30. The experiment was terminated after 78 weeks.

BP alone (suspended in 0.9% NaCl solution) induced respiratory tumors in 41 out of the 62 hamsters examined. Squamous cell carcinoma of the trachea was the most frequent type of tumor observed.

In comparison with treatment with BP alone, intratracheal instillation of BP + furfural resulted in earlier development of metaplastic changes of the tracheobronchial epithelium, a shorter latent period for tracheobronchial tumors, and a few more bronchial and peripheral squamous cell carcinomas. These results suggest a cocarcinogenic effect of furfural on the respiratory tract of hamsters.

Peritracheal sarcomas were observed in 2 hamsters (3%) treated with BP alone. An augmenting effect of furfural on the induction of peritracheal sarcomas was apparent from the fairly high incidence of these tumors (33%) occurring in the group treated with BP + furfural.

There was no indication that furfural possesses carcinogenic activity of its own.

¹ This work was supported by a grant from the research fund of the Scientific Advisory Committee Smoking and Health; this fund has been established by the Dutch Cigarette Industry Foundation.

Received 6/21/71. Accepted 9/15/71.