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Carcinogenicity of Methylated Dinitrosopiperazines in Rats¹

Carcinogenesis Program, Biology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830

Dinitrosopiperazine and four of its homologs were tested as carcinogens by feeding to rats at equimolar doses in drinking water. All 5 compounds induced tumors of the olfactory epithelium and/or esophagus in almost 100% of the animals, the tumors being the cause of death. The comparison of carcinogenic potency was based on the time to death of the animals after initiation of treatment by the different compounds.

One homolog, 2,5-dimethyldinitrosopiperazine, was approximately as potent as was dinitrosopiperazine. Dinitrosohomopiperazine, 2-methyldinitrosopiperazine, and 2,6-dimethyldinitrosopiperazine were considerably more effective carcinogens than was dinitrosopiperazine, a smaller dose killing the animals in a shorter time. The 2,6-dimethyl derivative was the most effective compound. The increased carcinogenicity of the homologs might be related to steric effects or to activation at the carbon atoms to the N-nitroso group.

¹ Research jointly supported by the Carcinogenesis Program of the National Cancer Institute and by the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission under contract with the Union Carbide Corporation.

Received 12/ 9/74. Accepted 2/ 6/75.