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Updated: Aug 16, 2026

A General Method for Detecting Nitrosamide Formation in the In Vitro Metabolism of Nitrosamines by Cytochrome P450s
Published on: September 25, 2017
Threshold for carcinogenicity of N-nitrosodiethylamine for esophageal tumors in rats
1Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, KY, USA. bwaddell@louisville.edu
Abstract:
In a study on 4080 rats by Peto et al. [Cancer Res. 51 (1991) 6415], esophageal neoplasms induced by N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA) were the tumors most clearly demonstrated to have a dose response from administration of the compound to male rats. However, they were unable to predict the shape of the dose-response curve at low doses. These data were reanalyzed in the present study for dose response on a logarithmic scale for dose. In contrast to the conclusion of Peto et al., the reanalysis shows a convincingly sharp threshold at 10(17.1) molecules/kg/day. This unequivocal threshold has substantial implications for risk assessment of chemical carcinogens.
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