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2-Amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5- b ]pyridine (PhIP), the most abundant carcinogenic heterocyclic amine in cooked meat and fish, is speculated to be associated with human carcinogenesis. It has been shown to induce DNA adducts in a variety of organs in rodents and thus clarification of any enhancement of neoplasia is a very important subject for assessing human risk. In order to evaluate modifying effects of PhIP on carcinogenesis, several in vivo experiments in rats were performed. These featured dietary administration of PhIP at different dose levels and for different durations, and included intragastric dosing for a short period, or continuous dietary administration after initiation with other carcinogen, namely 3,2′-dimethyl-4-aminobiphenyl (DMAB) or 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH). The data indicate that a short administration of PhIP is sufficient to induce prostate tumors but long-term treatment is required for effects in the colon. They also suggest tumor enhancing potential dependent on the organ, i.e. evident in the colon but not the prostate. Furthermore, promotion of colon neoplasia may depend on the initiator employed. Thus these findings suggest that the carcinogenic mechanisms of PhIP may vary in its different target organs.

The effects of 1.5 GHz electromagnetic near fields of time division multiple access (TDMA) signal for the Personal Digital Cellular, Japanese cellular telephone standard (PDC) used for cellular phones, on mouse skin carcinogenesis initiated by 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) were examined. Ten-week-old ICR female mice were treated with a single application of DMBA on shaved dorsal skin by painting at a concentration of 100 microg/100 microl acetone per mouse. One week later, mice were divided into four groups, receiving electromagnetic near fields exposure (DMBA-EMF), sham-exposure (DMBA-Sham), 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA, 4 microg /200 microl acetone/mouse), as a positive control (DMBA-TPA), and no-treatment (DMBA-Control). EMF near fields exposure conditions were as follows: skin local peak specific absorption rate (SAR) 2.0 W/kg, whole body average SAR 0.084 W/kg (ratio of peak to average SAR is 24), 90 min a day, 5 days a week, for 19 weeks. At week 20, animals were killed and skin tumors were analyzed histopathologically. The incidences of skin tumors in DMBA-EMF, DMBA-Sham, DMBA-TPA and DMBA-Control groups were 0/48 (0%), 0/48 (0%), 29/30 (96.6%) and 1/30 (3.3%), respectively. Histopathologically, papilloma and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) were observed in the DMBA-TPA group and only papilloma observed in the DMBA-Control group. The incidences of squamous cell papillomas and squamous cell carcinomas in DMBA-TPA and DMBA-Control groups were 29/30 (96.6%) and 1/30 (3.3%), respectively, numbers of tumors per mouse (tumor multiplicity) being 18.8 +/- 13.4 and 0.1 +/- 0.5. These data clearly demonstrated that near fields exposure to 1.5 GHz EMF, used for cellular phones, does not exert any enhancing effect on skin tumorigenesis initiated by DMBA.

The possible cancer promotion potential of local exposure to a pulse modulated 929.2 MHz electromagnetic near-field on chemically-initiated rat liver carcinogenesis was investigated employing a medium-term bioassay. A 929.2-MHz electromagnetic near-field of time division multiple access (TDMA) signal for PDC (Personal Digital Cellular, Japanese cellular telephone standard) system was directed to rats through a quarter-wavelength monopole antenna. Maximum local specific absorption rates (SARs) on temporal average were 7.2-6.6 W/kg within the whole body and 2.0-1.7 W/kg within the liver, which was the target organ. The whole-body average SARs on temporal average were 0.80-0.58 W/kg. Temporal peak SARs had three times these values due to the duty ratio of the PDC signal. Exposure was for 90 min a day, 5 days a week, over 6 weeks. The exposure apparatus was specially designed for this experiment, to allow exposure of the lateral mid-section of the rat body to the electromagnetic near-field. Male F344 rats, 6 week-old, were initially (at week 0) given a single dose of diethylnitrosamine (DEN, 200 mg/kg body wt, i.p.). At 2 weeks later, exposure (48 rats) or sham-exposure (48 rats) was started. The exposure of electromagnetic near-fields was performed using the exposure apparatus mentioned above. At week 3, all rats were subjected to a 2/3 partial hepatectomy. At week 8 (i.e. after 6 weeks exposure or sham-exposure), the experiment was terminated and all rats were killed. Carcinogenic potential was scored by comparing the numbers and areas of the induced glutathione S-transferase placental form (GST-P) positive foci in the livers of the exposed and sham-exposed rats. A further group of 24 animals, given only EN and partial hepatectomy, served as the controls. The numbers (no./cm²) of GST-P positive foci were 4.61 ± 1.77, 5.21 ± 1.92 (P <0.05, versus control) and 4.09 ± 1.47 and the areas (mm² /cm²) were 0.30 ± 0.16, 0.36 ± 0.21 and 0.28 ± 0.15, for the exposed, sham-exposed and control groups, respectively. There were no significant differences between the exposed and sham-exposed groups. These findings clearly indicated that local body exposure to a 929.2-MHZ field, modulated in a PDC waveform, has no significant effect on rat liver carcinogenesis under the experimental conditions employed.

Susceptibility to lung carcinogens and genetic changes in neoplastic lesions were investigated in transgenic mice carrying a human hybrid c-Ha-ras gene, encoding a prototype p21 gene product. Nine-week-old male and female transgenic mice and non-transgenic littermates were injected i.p. with 6-nitrochrysene (6NC) three times biweekly or administered urethane in their drinking water for 3 weeks. Control mice were given dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), the solvent for 6NC, alone. The incidences of lung adenocarcinomas were four out of seven female (57%) transgenic mice treated with 6NC and three out of three males (100%) and three out of three females (100%) receiving urethane. No adenocarcinomas were observed in control animals or non-transgenic mice. Adenomas developed in all treated groups, but the incidence and multiplicity were higher in transgenic animals than in their non-transgenic counterparts. In the 6NC-treated group, forestomach papillomas and squamous cell carcinomas were also observed in both male (25 and 50%) and female (56 and 33%) transgenic mice. PCR-SSCP and DNA sequence analysis of these induced lesions revealed point mutations at codon 61 of transgenic human c-Has-ras, from CAG (Gln) to CTG (Leu) or CAG (Gln) to AAG (Lyn) in lung hyperplasias (two out of three), an adenoma (one out of two), adenocarcinomas (five out of seven) and forestomach squamous cell carcinomas (four out of five). Mutations were not observed in forestomach papillomas. No changes in mouse Ha-ras or Ki-ras were found in any lesions. Furthermore, p21 overexpression was not evident in lung or forestomach tumors on immunohistochemical analysis. These findings indicate a high sensitivity to lung carcinogens in transgenic mice carrying the human c-Ha-ras gene and that this might be effected by mutational activation.