Structure-activity relations in promotion of rat urinary bladder carcinogenesis by phenolic antioxidants

The urinary bladder tumor-promoting potentials of the phenolic antioxidants, 2-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol (TBMP), propylparaben, catechol, resorcinol and hydroquinone, which are structurally related to butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), were investigated in 170 male F344 rats. The animals were initially given 0.05% N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine (BBN) as an initiator in their drinking water for 4 weeks. Three days later, groups of 20 rats received diet containing 1.0% TBMP, 3% propylparaben, 0.8% catechol, 0.8% resorcinol, 0.8% hydroquinone or basal diet alone until the end of week 36. Significant increases in the incidences and average numbers of the putative preneoplastic lesions, papillary or nodular (PN) hyperplasia, and papillomas of the urinary bladder were only observed in the group given TBMP after BBN. Development of these lesions was not enhanced by diet containing the other test compounds and no induction was associated with any of the test chemicals alone. The results thus clearly showed that TBMP, which most closely resembles BHA, promoted urinary bladder carcinogenesis. The similar effects of TBMP and BHA on urinary bladder carcinogenesis suggest a direct link between chemical structure and biological potency.